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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23869309">Truth Serum</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Miss_Rainstorm/pseuds/Little_Miss_Rainstorm'>Little_Miss_Rainstorm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lore Olympus (Webcomic)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domesticity, F/M, Honesty, Hurt/Comfort, Lack of self worth, Loss of Control, Love, Low Self Esteem, Pups, Toxic Relationship, allusion to sexual assault, implied domestic abuse, lots of fluff though, scratching that “OMG GUYS JUST TELL THE OTHER HOW YOU FEEL” itch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:49:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>56,902</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23869309</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Miss_Rainstorm/pseuds/Little_Miss_Rainstorm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hades is careful, always, about what he says. Silence is power and a carefully chosen word is his greatest protection against the hostilities of the world. Lies and manipulations of the truth are necessary, the privacy of his own mind is paramount. </p><p>This is why, dear reader, it was so utterly devastating to him when, all at once, on an ordinary Tuesday, on the heels of his morning coffee, the King of the Underworld lost the ability to lie.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>480</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1010</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I went to university and stressed myself out of fanfic. Now quarantine has me back on my fandom bullshit. I love this comic and these two nerds and it was only a matter of time before consuming Hades/Persephone content just wasn't enough anymore. </p><p>Much more to come, let me know what you think.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hades was not accustomed to saying things he did not wish to say. He was a king, a God, and, frankly, a bit of a traumatised bundle of nerves, loaded with baggage. He spoke carefully, guardedly. He did not trust himself to vocalise his thoughts and he did not trust others to hear them. He had a reputation for long, authoritative pauses before judgements. Unlike his brothers, he thought before he spoke. He thought a lot. Too much, perhaps. That’s what Hecate said.</p><p>His caution was mostly because his unfiltered thought process was basically just a long, existential scream. An existential scream occasionally punctuated by an insistent desire to adopt a new dog. That was, until she arrived. Now, there was the occasional unbidden <em>God, Kore, you’re beautiful</em> or <em>you make me so lightheaded, little goddess…</em> or <em>please could you stay for dinner or, you know, for all eternity?</em></p><p>His head was, impossible as it seemed, even more of a mess than it had been before. The warm, strange, electric thoughts she inspired were desperate to escape anytime she was near. Or someone spoke about her. Or he saw something that reminded him of her. He was, he had to admit, a touch obsessed with the Goddess of Spring. Which was why it was so utterly paramount for him to watch his words, to keep himself and his wandering thoughts, in check. It was more important than ever that he remained in control.</p><p>This is why, dear reader, it was so utterly devastating to him when, all at once, on an ordinary Tuesday, on the heels of his morning coffee, the King of the Underworld lost the ability to lie.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Liar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Minthe doesn't like being lied to.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Minthe,” Hades fought to keep his tone measured, “firstly, nothing is going on between myself and Persephone. She is my friend, that is all. Secondly,” Minthe huffed incredulously, kicking over the umbrella stand in the corner of the room as she paced. His gaze flicked behind the red nymph, grateful that in her carless rage she had left the door slightly ajar.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Secondly,</em>” he said firmly, “it is <em>none </em>of your business. We broke up weeks ago, Minthe. Weeks. You told me to go to hell which, well, is a bit redundant,” He gestured around them. She was not amused.</p><p> </p><p>“You and me, we don’t break up. We go on hiatus. We pause. We do not <em>end,” </em>Minthe seethed, “It’s always my business, big blue. We’re like magnets, baby, it’s only a matter of time…”</p><p> </p><p>“Not this time, Minthe,” He shook his head, looking down. <em>The door is open, </em>he tried to reassure himself, <em>she doesn’t do that kind of thing when people can see. </em>“I’m tired of the way we are together. I am <em>tired, </em>Minthe,” She opened her mouth to reply, her hand raised, knuckles curled in tense fury. “That will be all,” He said, loudly, gesturing to the open door. Her red ears folded back as she realised, they were in clear view of the hallway.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>For now,” </em>She hissed, stalking out of the room.</p><p> </p><p>Hades let out a shuddering breath, running a harsh hand through his hair. The more she tried to convince him of their inevitability, the more certain he was that they were not. He had felt kindness, now, and generosity. The easiness of friendship coupled with the burn of desire. He couldn’t go back, even if Persephone… even if he was right, and they would never be anything more than friends…</p><p> </p><p>He treasured her friendship. Her simple presence in his life was gift enough. She truly <em>cared </em>about him, about everyone around him. She was sweet, warm, feisty, smart… Gods, were there enough words to explain everything that that beautiful pink goddess was?</p><p> </p><p>A light tap on his door shook him out of his daydream. He cleared his throat and hastily tried to make his hair a bit less mad.</p><p> </p><p>“Enter,” He tried to recover the kingly tone of his voice. It always seemed to abandon him in a cold wash of self-loathing whenever he and Minthe fought.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, Hades!” A light, clear voice rang out as <em>she</em> bounded into his office in a flurry of pink. So much for kingliness, Hades thought. If Minthe washed his authority away like a cold rain, Persephone dissolved it like warm, fragrant water.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t say: <em>I’ve missed you. I hate this keeping our distance thing. Your hair smells amazing. That dress makes your body look illegal. You have more power than you will ever understand. Would you let me kiss you, just once? My dogs like you better than me. I would give you everything you ever wanted if you asked me. I want to listen to you talk for 6 hours straight. I would give </em>anything <em>to bend you over this desk and have you right here…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Uhm,” Hades choked slightly. “Hilo. I mean, uh, hi. Or hello. One or the other. Not both. Obviously. Hilo isn’t a word,” Hades pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting a hysterical chuckle.</p><p> </p><p>Persephone looked… concerned and amused, all at once. “You okay there, boss? Can I get you some water? A lobotomy?”</p><p> </p><p>“Very funny, little goddess,” He smirked at her, narrowing his eyes playfully, “How can I help you? You know, since I’m your boss and everything,”</p><p> </p><p>“65% scoundrel, Mr boss, sir,” Persephone teased, earning a visible grin and an invisible flutter in the chest of the Dark King.</p><p> </p><p>Like a certain furious nymph, the Goddess of Spring had left the office door slightly ajar. Neither of them noticed, though, as Persephone ran through some complex passages of her weekly progress report that just would not have made sense over email. They did not notice when she had finished, nor when Hades spent fifteen minutes showing Kore photos of his newest pup, Pomelia, while the pink goddess squealed in delight.  </p><p> </p><p>Minthe noticed, though. And, what’s more, Minthe watched their easy banter, the light touches of fingers as they passed the phone back and forth, the <em>longing </em>in the dirty old man’s eyes.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>LIAR! </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Leave me your tasty thoughts</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. 1111</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Thetis!” Minthe hissed down the phone, watching Hades escort little miss perfect out of tower, obviously, transparently, idiotically desperate to spend more time with her. The small pink one stumbled over a non-existent snag in the carpet and Minthe cursed under her breath as Hades caught her, tender hands so <em>grateful </em>for any opportunity to touch her.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey bitch, what’s eating you?” Thetis replied, phone pressed against her jaw as she painted her nails. <em>Zeus purple, </em>she thought slyly, <em>that’ll drive the missus a little crazy if she stops by. </em></p><p> </p><p>“I’ll give you a clue. It’s small, pink, and slutty,” Minthe grumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“Eros isn’t exactly <em>small</em>…”</p><p> </p><p>“The little flower whore, Thetis,” Minthe hissed, gathering her bag and coat. “Listen. I need to know what’s actually going on. He’s treating me like a fucking idiot!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well…” Thetis said cattily.</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, Thetis. I need your help, okay? I’ll owe you one,”</p><p> </p><p>There was a beat. Thetis blew coolly over her plum-coloured index finger. “I’m listening, babe,”</p><p> </p><p>“Did Zeus ever finish that thing he was working on with Aletheia?” Minthe asked quietly, a plan forming.</p><p> </p><p>“The truth goddess? Nah, come on Minthe, this is Zeus we’re talking about,” She scoffed, “At first he was all like <em>this will be amazing! One sip and trials will be so easy, no one will be able to lie! </em>And then he realised how fucked he would be if someone slipped it in <em>his </em>drink,” Thetis scoffed. “He’s a terrible liar, but he thinks he’s a master of deception. And, like, he loves to lie. Some people like knitting, or water colours. Zeus’s hobby is lying,”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh. So what did he do with it?” Minthe huffed, waiting for the elevator.</p><p> </p><p>“Put it in the safe I think. Paid Aletheia a <em>hefty </em>stack of Drachma to let him “work on it on his own”. Now it’s just… sitting there,” Thetis finished her left hand, fluttering her fingers in the fluorescent lights.</p><p> </p><p>“Get it for me,” Minthe breathed, stepping into the elevator.</p><p> </p><p>“Steal from Zeus? No way, bitch,” Thetis scoffed.</p><p> </p><p>“Not stealing. Cleaning up some trash he doesn’t want any more. Getting rid of something he’s afraid of,” Minthe tried to bite back the desperation in her voice, “I’ll owe you, anything you want. Anything.”</p><p> </p><p>“1111”</p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s the combination. 1111.”</p><p> </p><p>“Zeus is a fucking moron, Thets, that’s like… the default safe combination,”</p><p> </p><p>“So it won’t be super surprising if he finds someone robbing it,” Thetis muttered carefully, “Listen, I’m not involved. This conversation never happened. I will sell you down the river Styx if you get caught. And you owe me, big time!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Implied</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It’s already almost noon!” Persephone groaned, “I haven’t got nearly enough done today,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades paused a moment, trying not to see that as a transparent attempt to get away from him. One steadying breath later, he said, “Not the best idea to highlight poor productivity to the boss, Kore.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re really on an authority bender today, that’s like the fifth time you’ve made it clear that you’re,” She lowered her voice and tried to affect his handsome scowl, “<em>The Boss,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>He chuckled at her impression, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, little goddess, so I choose to take that as a compliment,” He rolled up the sleeves of his button-up, pushing them absentmindedly to his elbows. Kore swallowed tightly, transfixed by his strong, elegant forearms, veined with scars that caught the light like silver lightening. “I <em>just </em>saw your progress report, though, and you’re getting plenty done,”</p><p> </p><p>“You think so?”</p><p> </p><p>“Kore, you’ve done more in the short time you’ve worked here than I think Thanatos has done in centuries. You’re doing well,”</p><p> </p><p>She blushed at his praise; <em>does he know how nice his approval feels? </em>“Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, sweetness, I’m very…” He began, “…pleased with you,” the husky, intentional, almost pained way he said ‘pleased’ sparked something low in her belly. She bit her lip. She wanted to hear him say that somewhere else, somewhere private, against her naked skin. She wanted him to be <em>pleased </em>with her…</p><p> </p><p>She tripped over the carpet as her knees went momentarily weak. Hades did absolutely nothing to help her struggle when he caught her trembling body in his warm, strong arms.</p><p> </p><p>“Whoops!” She said, too loudly, her heart pounding, her skin burning everywhere he touched her.</p><p> </p><p>“Careful, Kore,” He said, low and serious, drawing her up to her feet and keeping her curled securely under one arm. It was very important he help her stay upright, you see, and had nothing to do with the semi-legitimate excuse to feel the curves of his little friend pressed against him. He pressed the elevator button. “You’re precious cargo…” They looked at each other for a very long moment. Persephone’s breathing hitched as he leaned closer. Was this it? Was this the turning point? Was the huge, silent question blazing with static between them <em>finally </em>going to be answered?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>DING!</em>
</p><p>“Besides,” Hades blurted, unsteadily, “I don’t want to be sued for an injury in the workplace,”</p><p> </p><p>“Right,” Persephone said with a small, deflated smile, stepping into the elevator. “See you later, <em>boss” </em>She smirked as the doors closed. He groaned, low and to himself.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>You’re going to be the death of me, little goddess. </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Our beloved dorks DON'T SAY IT, for the millionth time. If only some sick sadist would take away their ability to lie to each other?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Intervention</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hecate brings lunch, and some perspective. Minthe brings her boss coffee; black Americano with an extra shot of... something?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hades buried his head in his hands, massaging his brow.</p><p> </p><p><em>I don’t want to be sued for an injury in the workplace, </em>he sighed, <em>I am king of the idiots. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>He was always so careful about what he said to everyone else but with her… all of his energy went in to <em>not </em>saying the million sweet nothings that came to mind when she was near. His brain cells all abandoned him to wax lyrical about the slope of her narrow little shoulders or the glint in her eye when she teased him. The only thoughts that made it through his careful control were invariably the stupidest thoughts his brain had to offer.</p><p> </p><p>“Am I disturbing a pity party?” Hecate was standing in the doorway, carrying a bag from the deli down the street.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, very exclusive guest list,” Hades grumbled, sitting back heavily in his desk chair.</p><p> </p><p>“I thought we could have lunch,” She placed the paper bag on the desk. Hades eyed her warily.</p><p> </p><p>“Is this an intervention?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep,” she smirked, “I got you the brie, bacon and chilli jam thing you almost wept over last time we ordered from here,” She handed him a wax paper bundle.</p><p> </p><p>Hades grumbled but took the sandwich anyway. It smelled delicious. She slid over a paper coffee cup took a bite of her wrap. They sat in friendly silence for a moment. Hecate washed down half of her wrap with a long, noisy swig of coffee. His friend was usually an almost silent dinner guest, and he knew she despised eating noises, so this was the fanfare, the air-raid siren warning him of his impending doom.</p><p> </p><p>“When are you going to tell Persephone you’re in love with her?” Hecate said, nonchalantly. Hades choked on his food.</p><p> </p><p>“I… what… where… nooooo,” He laughed uneasily. “Me? Persephone? Whaaaaat?”</p><p> </p><p>“What you just said there? Changed my life,” Hecate touched her chest, right over her heart, “So profound,”</p><p> </p><p>“S-shut up Hecate,” Hades grumbled. She smirked. “We’re <em>friends,</em> okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“I should hope so! Lovers should always be friends first, in my opinion,”</p><p> </p><p>“L-l-lovers? No, no, no,” Hades huffed out a hysterical laugh, “Ahm, no,”</p><p> </p><p>“Right, so, as eloquent as you’re being right now? I need you to shut up for a second,” Hecate said firmly, “I know you don’t like talking about this or <em>anything </em>personal. I know the only people you even come close to opening up to are your… brothers, and Hera. And even with them, you keep so much back. If Cordon Bleu could speak, I bet he would know more about you than the rest of us combined,”</p><p> </p><p>“I-”</p><p> </p><p>“You talk to the dogs when you groom them. We all know this. One time I walked in on you having a conversation about the pros and cons of manscaping with Cerberus. Remember? You tried to pretend you were using a Bluetooth headset?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades had the good sense to close his mouth. Hecate took a soundless sip of her coffee.</p><p> </p><p>“The point is, I know you don’t like talking about this kind of thing, but it’s got to the point where we have to. You’re so distracted. Your mood is in the basement until she comes into the room and Persephone… that poor girl, she’s pining,”</p><p> </p><p>“P-pining?” Hades’s face flushed. <em>Surely Hecate didn’t mean…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Pining,” She said firmly. “I’m not one for the mushy heart-to-hearts Hades, but I need you to talk to me, old friend,”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Hades shook his head helplessly, “I can’t,”</p><p> </p><p>“Just… nod or shake your head, okay?” Hecate tried. Hades paused for a moment and then nodded obediently. “Okay. Love to one side for now, do you <em>like </em>Persephone as more than a friend?”</p><p> </p><p>He paused, every muscle in his body straining. Finally, he inclined his head a fraction.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Hecate tried to be patient, “Do you think she likes you? As more than a friend?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades hesitated for one short beat, before shaking his head.</p><p>
  
</p><p>“But <em>why? </em>She loves to be around you Hades,”</p><p> </p><p>“Friends,” Hades said simply, a lump in his throat. “Pity… she pities me. She’s kind,”</p><p> </p><p>Hecate sighed. “Has she ever actually said she pities you?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades rolled his eyes “she wouldn’t say it,”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, what evidence do you have that she <em>doesn’t </em>like you?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades scoffed and gestured at himself, hands jabbing hard into his midriff.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, yes, your rippling abs. Goddesses hate those, universally,” Hecate rolled her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m old. I’m broken, scarred, weighed down by millennia’s worth of baggage. I am the king of death and she’s a goddess of <em>life</em>. She could never be happy here; she could never be happy with me. She deserves so much <em>more, </em>and <em>I can’t give it to her!” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Hades panted, regretting every word he’d said, no matter how true he felt the sentiments were. Hecate blinked at him, slowly reaching out a tentative hand to pat his.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re just as bad as Demeter, old friend,”</p><p> </p><p>“WHAT? HOWCOULD-” Hades blazed with self-righteous anger. Hecate held up a hand.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m being honest with you, old friend,” Hecate said softly, “You’ve made all of these decisions <em>for </em>her because you’re too afraid to ask her how she feels. You convince yourself you’re acting in her best interest but all you’re doing is controlling her and shutting her out. You need to <em>talk </em>to her, Hades. This isn’t your way or the highway, and you are belittling her by not letting her have a say in her own life.” Hecate took another sip of coffee, letting Hades think about what she’d said. “She’s not a child. You know that, you don’t look at her like she’s a child, but you treat her like one when it comes to emotions. How demeaning, Hades, to the woman you, uhm, <em>like</em>, to treat her like a grown woman sexually and an infant emotionally and intellectually,”</p><p> </p><p>“I <em>don’t</em>…” Hades tried to argue, rubbing his hands over his face. “Okay, fine, you win. I’m an asshole,”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not an asshole, you’re just acting like one right now,”</p><p> </p><p>“So, what do I do?” Hades held his hands up, “I try to talk to her but I just get so… and she’s so… ugh,”</p><p> </p><p>Hecate thought for a moment, “Send her an email, or a text, and ask her if she wants a ride home from work with you today,” Hecate proffered, “it’s a short drive back to Olympus, it’s a start. I’m not saying confess your love, or <em>like</em>, or whatever. But you <em>OWE </em>her the chance to make up her own mind on this.”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Hades felt his heart speed up, “Uh, I guess? Friends give friends rides home from work, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Right. Friends do,”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, Hecate. I’ll ask her,”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll make your life hell if you don’t,” Hecate said sweetly, gathering her empty coffee cup and the bag her wrap had been served in, “Good talk!”</p><p> </p><p>“Good… talk,” Hades said slowly, feeling like he’d just been bamboozled somehow. Hecate ducked out of the room with one more warning look and a teasing grin to wash it down.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Compose text. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Here goes nothing…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Hi Persephone, hope you’re doing well? I was just wondering if you wanted a ride</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Read - 11:56am</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Sorry! Sent a bit to early! LOL. **A ride home. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Read 11:56am</p><p> </p><p><em>After work</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Read 11:56am</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>With me. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Read 11:57am</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>You’ve been working too hard lately. You shouldn’t have to fly home after your shift every day. You look so tired.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Read 11:57</p><p> </p><p><em>I don’t mean you </em>look <em>tired. Just that you must be, because you work so hard. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Read 11:57</p><p> </p><p>Hades threw his phone away from him across the desk. Why did he always get so hopelessly tongue-tied?</p><p> </p><p>His phone buzzed. He took a deep, steadying breath and unlocked it.</p><p> </p><p>New Message: from Persephone</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Omg, I would love to! I’m so tired today lol. I was gonna get an Uber, but your car has heated seats, so… ;) </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Hades couldn’t help but grin at the little blue box on his screen. He was just about to reply when there was another light rap on his door.</p><p> </p><p>“Come in,” Hades hastily shoved the phone away, busying himself with the documents on his desk. “Minthe.” He said shortly, his lips flattening into a thin line, “What do you want?”</p><p> </p><p>“Look, I’m sorry about earlier,” The red nymph looked down, putting on her best <em>Minthe-having-a-moment-of-unexpected-sincerity </em>voice, long ears folded down in contrition. “It’s hard for me, seeing you… move on. But we’ve known each other for a long time, we have a lot of history, and I still…care about you, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades stared at her. She sometimes got like this, usually after a fit of passion, small and <em>so </em>sorry, and he would crumble. He was wary of letting her draw him in this time.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to, like, forgive me, or whatever. I got you these,” She produced a cardboard coffee cup from behind her back, along with a pomegranate Danish wrapped in a little bag. “Peace offering. I see you’ve already had some lunch, sorry,” She gestured at his leftover cup from Hecate’s offering, “Please, just… just don’t throw them in the trash, okay? I waited in line for like an hour,”</p><p> </p><p>Minthe slipped outside, her trembling lip resolving into a cruel, tight smile the second her back was turned. She looked over her shoulder briefly as she left, noting with great satisfaction that the King of the Underworld had already taken a long sip.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Keep your kind words coming! They make my heart happy.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Word Vomit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hades feels weird.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hades felt… weird. There was no other way to describe it, really. By mid-afternoon, he was feeling dizzy and unfocused, like he’d had a decent amount of alcohol on absolutely no food.</p><p> </p><p>It felt like the first hour of one of his brothers’ parties. He wasn’t feeling drunk, not close to wasted. There were no black spots in his memory and his typing was about 89% error free. He just felt like he had to hold his jaw shut. He had to chase the inhibitions that were normally front-and-centre in his mind. He had to take a few seconds to remember why responding to Thanatos’s fourth annual leave request of the month with “FUCK OFF YOU CRETIN!!!” was not a good idea.</p><p> </p><p>The phone on his desk rang and he stared at it unsteadily for a moment, feeling like it was zooming away from him down the dark, polished surface of the table. He finally remembered how to move his hands and fingers and picked up the trilling phone, cupping the handset like a small child trying to keep a secret.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello?” He breathed; pupils blown wide.</p><p> </p><p>“Um, hi boss,” Hecate said on the other end of the phone, disconcerted by the odd tone in his voice. “Just checking in. Did you text Persephone?”</p><p> </p><p><em>Yes, </em>Hades tried to say. <em>I did. </em>“I sent Persephone six messages in a two-minute period,” He said breathlessly, rubbing his jaw in wonder. Where had those words come from? Why wasn’t his mouth obeying his brain?</p><p> </p><p>“Smooth, Hades,” Hecate groaned, “what did she say?”</p><p> </p><p>“She said yes,”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey! That’s great news, isn’t it?” Hecate said brightly.  </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>Yes. I’m glad she doesn’t have to take an Uber home</em> his brain sent to his lips, careful to ensure there were no mistakes this time. “It made me so happy I could barely breathe for a moment. I love spending time with her, and it never feels like enough. It is also terrible news because I am petrified that I am going to do something to mess this up and confirm all of the painful rumours that insist I am nothing but the unlovable embodiment of pain, darkness and death,” He said instead, matter-of-factly.</p><p>There was a pause. “Hades, are you feeling okay?” Hecate murmured down the phone, the concern evident in her voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Not at all,” Hades said cheerfully, “On a general level, my pre-existing mental health issues are giving me a lot of trouble, and my deep-seated low self-esteem and poor self-image are wreaking havoc.” There was a pause. “I am also feeling a little bit gassy, but I imagine that was just the Brie I ate at lunch,” Hades felt his unbothered brow furrow slightly: <em>was he meant to be saying this?</em></p><p> </p><p>“Uhhhh…” Hecate said, “Okay? Listen, I have back-to-back meetings in Olympus so I can’t check on you right now, but you text me if you need me, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“I absolutely will not do that because I believe fundamentally that I am a burden on my friends, and that I must deal with my problems alone so that they don’t tire of me,” Hades replied, “Enjoy your meetings, Hecate!” he grinned, putting down the phone.</p><p> </p><p>The smile lingered for a few seconds before cold horror slid over him. <em>What the hell was going on? </em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let me know what you think folks!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Telephone Manner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Persephone gets called to duty.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Persephone huffed in frustration. The library in the underworld was woefully disorganised, and she was loving the challenge, the difficulty, the <em>task </em>of it all. She loved the tiredness that came from hard work, loved the honest, deep sleep that came after toil. When she had worked herself to exhaustion constructing Spring, hair frizzy and skin slicked with sweat and earth, her favourite moment in the world was the night after she finished.</p><p> </p><p>It would turn colder, begin to darken. She would walk through the humid dusk to a little lake near her mother’s house. She would slip the long, white, linen dress over her head and slip into the cool, dark water, washing away the day’s toil. Waterlilies would bloom languidly around her head as she lay on her back, aftershocks of her power spasming through the world around her. Her hair trailed in a flash of pink behind her like the tail of a comet.</p><p> </p><p>She would then wash her dress in the same darkness, rubbing the white fabric gently together. She relished the silence, the alone time, the freedom of nakedness unseen. Then she slipped her wet dress over her head, walking out of the pond looking like a bedraggled water nymph, a wild thing unseen by human eyes.</p><p> </p><p>She walked, chilled in the humid night air by the wet fabric clinging to her skin, to the sleeping nymphs lying together in a mess of limbs. She hung her wet dress over the tree branch, baring herself briefly to the night air, as she found a new, clean dress. The warm tangle of limbs would accept her tired body, and she would fall into a deep, temperate sleep, waking the next day more refreshed than any other day of the year.</p><p> </p><p>Now, though, in Olympus, or even her in the Underworld, where she felt more at home than she’d ever thought possible in a place defined by death, she couldn’t feel that same honest rest. She slept fitfully in the House of Artemis every night since arriving at Olympus, but since…</p><p> </p><p>Recently she hadn’t been sleeping so well. Nor resting in her down time. She was throwing everything she had into work, trying to achieve that glowing tiredness she had become addicted to in the Mortal Realm. It hadn’t worked, though; she was burning herself out like a candle with a burning wick at both ends, and there was no true rest in sight.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Hermes?” She asked, tucking a frizzy curl behind her ear.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, Perse?” Hermes swivelled around in his chair, a pen tucked behind each ear and a third in his hand.</p><p> </p><p>“How are you finding the new filing system?” Persephone asked, sticking a pink post-it note to the scroll she was working on.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s good Perse, it’s so much better than the system we had before, which was no system,” Hermes chewed on the end of his hand pens, his behind-the-ear pens bobbing around as he nodded thoughtfully. “I think we might need some more sub-categories, though. Mortals die in some ridiculous ways,”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, interesting, what do you mean?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, this one, for example,” Hermes scooted around her desk with a scroll, “It goes under the umbrella category of “Murder”-”</p><p> </p><p>“Sugarsnaps!” Persephone said, her big eyes widening as she scanned the scroll, “His wife found him-”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep!” Said Hermes, waggling his eyebrows.</p><p> </p><p>“So, she…?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Yep,</em>” Hermes nodded, “And then put it on an alter in the Temple of Artemis!”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Wow,” </em>Persephone grimaced, “To be honest, I don’t know if Artie would be pleased or horrified. Both?”</p><p> </p><p>“Probably both,” Hermes confirmed with a grin, “So, anyway, it falls under the category of “Murder” and “Exsanguination”, but we never really decided how to prioritise those categories. There are also categories like ‘revenge murder’ and ‘pre-meditated murder’ that we should consider. I think we should book in a meeting with Hecate and Hades to nail the system down,”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone blushed a deeper shade of pink at the mention of his name. <em>He’s driving me home today. </em>A delicious shiver ran down Persephone’s spine as she thought about <em>him. </em>Tall, dark, mysterious and yet kind, warm, and gentle. King of the Underworld and single dog dad of seven; the fearsome Unseen One who blushed dark navy whenever she touched him.</p><p> </p><p><em>Stop it, Persephone, </em>she scolded herself, <em>he’s your boss! And he has a girlfriend! And he thinks you’re just a dumb kid. He’s taken you under his wing like a kid sister, like what you are, an </em>INTERN. <em>Don’t kid yourself. He’s flirty, and ridiculously handsome, but that’s it. Don’t get carried away!</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Persephone!?” Hermes said insistently, and obviously not for the first time. <em>Oops. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Sorry Hermes! I was just brainstorming!” Persephone said hastily, “brainstorming in my own brain. So, thinking. Otherwise known as <em>thinking,</em>” She chuckled uneasily.</p><p> </p><p>“You need some rest, babe,” Hermes said, not unkindly, turning back to his work. She couldn’t help but agree. The last time she’d slept through the night was probably…</p><p> </p><p>The night she met him. <em>Sugarsnaps, Kore, you’ve got it </em>BAD!</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll send an email to Hecate and H-H-Hades about nailing down the system,” Persephone said, smoothing the skirt of her dress, trying to summon some sense of professionalism whilst still quietly lusting after her boss. “I’m sure they’ll-”</p><p> </p><p>The phone on Persephone’s desk rang. She grabbed it, huffing in a deep breath and willing herself to sound like a grown-up, “Underworld Library, Persephone speaking. How may I help you?”</p><p> </p><p>Hecate chuckled lightly. “Nice telephone manner, kiddo. I enjoyed that,” Persephone blushed and smiled into the phone.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi Hecate! Don’t be mean about my telephone manner,” Persephone grumbled playfully, “How can I help you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I have a whole afternoon of meetings in Olympus that I can’t reschedule. I’m running to one right now, actually, so sorry if I’m a bit… short.” Hecate said in a brisk, friendly tone. Persephone could hear that she was walking at quite a pace, “I just spoke to Hades on the phone-”</p><p> </p><p>“H-Hades? Is everything okay, um, with him?” Persephone kicked herself. That was possibly the <em>least </em>casual thing anyone had ever yelled down the phone at a workplace superior.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know, that’s why I’m calling. He’s acting really weird and I need someone I trust, someone he trusts, to check in on him,” Hecate said firmly. “That’s you, by the way,”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh.” Persephone squeaked, “Of course. Yes. I’ll make sure he’s okay,”</p><p> </p><p>“He seems loopy and out of it, I’ve never heard him like this. If he needs to get home, feel free to make the call, even if he fights you on it. Hell, drive him if you have to. I’m counting on you kid, got to go!”</p><p> </p><p>“Bye Hecate,” Persephone said to a dead phoneline. She stood, smoothing her skirt, and desperately wishing she had a moment to fix her hair or clean off the 2,000 years of library dust all over her. “Hey, Hermes, I have to go. Hecate’s sent me on an errand… for the King,”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am knocking these chapters out so fast and so erratically because I am currently completely at a loose end during the quarantine. I hope you're liking them, I'm really enjoying the writing process!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Word! Vomit!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Minthe tests out the truth serum. I owe a great debt to Knives Out for the way the truth serum manifests - as Benoit Blanc says, Hades has 'a regurgitative reaction to mistruths'.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CONTENT WARNING: This chapter includes a depiction of domestic violence and manipulation. </p><p>I've isolated the paragraph that includes physical violence with a box of asterisks and a label, so you can avoid it if you need to. BUT the whole chapter features a lot of psychological abuse and obviously a form of "drugging" with the truth serum, so please proceed with caution, dear ones.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hades stood in his office, fists clenched by his sides, staring out of the window, and tried to lie.</p><p> </p><p>“I am…” He choked on the next part, pressing his knuckles to the windowsill, “N-n-n-<em>not</em> H-H-H-H-Hades, K-k-k-ing of the Underworld” He forced out. The relief he felt was palpable, it was hard, it was like forcing a limb back against the direction of the joint. Uncomfortable, unnatural, painful, but he’d done it. He’d done it.</p><p> </p><p>His relief was short-lived, though. No sooner were the words out of his mouth, than his stomach ached and rolled with nausea. He sprinted across the room to the trashcan, retching over it violently. He sat on the floor, his hands trembling. He <em>would not </em>be beaten by this.</p><p> </p><p>“I am… t-t-twenty-five years o-o-old,” He ground out, “I a-a-a-m a c-cat person,” He swallowed back the bile, “I am <em>not </em>i-i-i-i-n l-love with K-K-Ko… P-P-Persephone,” Again, a moment of success and then violent illness. His whole body shook with the strain of trying to hold the words and the vomit back. His head lolled, exhausted, against the leather of his sofa, lacking the strength to lift himself up. A slight, red body swam into his vision…</p><p> </p><p>“Minthe?” Hades groaned softly, “I need a doctor or at least… something over the counter… I think there’s something wrong with me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, there’s something wrong with you, alright,” Minthe said coldly, dragging one of the chairs from Hades’s desk to face the sick God, clammy and tired on the floor in front of his sofa. She crossed her legs and her arms decisively.</p><p> </p><p>“Minthe, not now. Please,” Hades said softly, “I’m sick. I need you to call- ”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want to fuck that little pink flower child?” Minthe inspected her fingernails, nonchalant even as her teeth ground together.</p><p> </p><p>Hades felt his stomach heave as he tried to keep silent, “Minthe, don’t…” Hades panted, retching a little. <em>Fight it Hades, fight it, you are in control</em>. Finally, the words exploded out of him breathlessly, “Y-yes,”</p><p> </p><p>“I knew it!” Minthe said coldly, “As if someone like her would ever want you, Hades. You’re lucky <em>I </em>look in your direction, and I’m not a tight little teenage Goddess who’s made a virginity pledge!”</p><p> </p><p>“Please,”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you think, huh? Does she want you?” Minthe asked. “<em>Could </em>she want you?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades head fell, his tired eyes prickling at the humiliation. It was one thing to think it, to say it to Hecate, or Hera, but this… “Fuck you,” he panted, gagging, “N-no, she doesn’t,”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s right, Hades. That’s right. She knows you’re nothing but darkness, death, just like your father, isn’t that right?” Minthe said sweetly.</p><p> </p><p>“M-maybe,” Hades choked out. His mouth was working completely on his own, now, and he had little energy left to fight. He still tried though, “I try not… but I… I try to be b-b-better… but… yes, I… I think she knows. She knows I-I-I’m… broken, bad,”</p><p> </p><p>“Good. It’s good that you can admit it, Hades,” Minthe said in a mock-soothing tone, patting his clammy cheek as he jerked away from her touch, “You’re going to come back to me aren’t you, big blue? Like always?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Hades said.</p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>“No.” Hades said calmly, the only word that hadn’t choked him so far. “I would rather die,” He said levelly, calmly.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on Hades, there’s no point in trying to lie,” Minthe gestured at the trashcan at her feet, “It’s only a matter of time before you tell me. You’re going to come back to me, because we deserve each other, aren’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades took a steadying breath, “Never,” He panted, “We are <em>done,</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“You want to fuck me more than you want to fuck her!” Minthe said desperately, “She’s got the Virgin Mary thing going on, sure, but you know what <em>I </em>can do for you, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Hades muttered, Minthe grinned, “You can make me feel miserable about myself in exchange for whatever dark, twisted version of intimacy we have. You can accept my gifts and stand me up at dinner. You can encourage my mental health to deteriorate because it makes you feel powerful. That, as fucked up as you are, you can keep me in a darker place than you. No matter how fucked up you are, you can always point down at me,” Hades looked her in the eye, “<em>That </em>is what you do for me,”</p><p> </p><p>“N-no, Hades, stop it,” Minthe’s eyes were wide, “We have something Hades. You want me. You <em>need </em>me,”</p><p> </p><p>“We do have something. A toxic relationship and an unhealthy workplace dynamic,” Hades lifted himself up on to the sofa on trembling arms, leaning back against the sofa cushions, “I do not want you. I <em>do not </em>need you.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>*************************** CONTENT WARNING **************************</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck you, Hades,” Minthe said harshly, tears pooling in her eyes. She stood, violently, knocking her chair over. “<em>FUCK YOU!” </em>She stood over him, leaning in close to his face to bark out words designed to hurt him, “She will <em>never </em>want you, Hades. You are broken, you are hideous, and you are too <em>stupid </em>to realise you already <em>had </em>more than you deserved. I was the best you were ever going to get and you had to basically pay me a salary just to stick around. You <em>disgust me,” </em>She was shoving him, slapping his arms and his face, forcing his weary limbs aside to give her access to his vulnerable body. She raised her hand, nails bared, ready to leave a mark, when a thick rope of vine twisted around her wrist, the thick, sharp thorns digging into her skin. Minthe and Hades whipped around to see where it had come from.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>***************************CONTENT WARNING****************************</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Leave. Him. Alone.” Persephone seethed, her eyes red, another vine spiralling around her arm, twining up and reaching over to Mithe’s other wrist. The red nymph fought against her restraints, but the more she fought, the tighter the vines gripped her, the deeper the thorns dug into her wrists.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me go, you crazy plant bitch!” Minthe screamed as the vines snaked down her body, tightening around her legs and pinning her arms to her body, “This is between me and him,”</p><p> </p><p>“Hades,” Persephone ignored her, “Hades, are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades groaned, “Yes and no, I’ve thrown up like four times,” he met her eyes, “and <em>she’s </em>still here,” He nodded towards Minthe.</p><p> </p><p>One of Persphone’s vines twisted carefully around the windowpane and forced it out of its frame, crushing the glass. The vines around Minthe twined down the side of the building, carrying the bundle of screaming red nymph all the way down the tower, and down the street.</p><p> </p><p>“Where did you send her?” Hades quirked an eyebrow, his relief palpable and manifesting as amusement. <em>This woman, </em>he thought, eyes full of pink, <em>incredible. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Uh, I’ve never done that before, so…” Persephone blushed a little, taking a deep breath, “I was aiming for her apartment?” She said sheepishly. They shared a chuckle, Persephone moving quickly to sit beside him and touch his flushed face with soothing hands. “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades leaned into her touch, relishing her tiny fingers against his skin, both calming and electric. He tried a new strategy, things that were <em>technically </em>true but kept him out of trouble. “I already told you,”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, yeah, right,” Persephone reached over to loosen his tie, thinking it a silly formality when he was so obviously ill. His heart stuttered as she slipped the knot open, wishing the circumstances were different. “<em>Yes and no</em>.” She quoted. “I get the <em>no,</em>” she smiled sadly, gesturing at the shattered window, wind whistling through the empty pane. “But what’s the <em>yes?</em> What made any of… <em>that </em>okay?” Persephone stroked his face softly, thoughtfully.</p><p> </p><p>Hades tried to fight the answer, but he had no energy left. He looked down, avoiding her gaze, “Y-you are here,”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Whew, there you have it. Our babies are finally together, and Hades is in a pickle but he's at least safe from Minthe for now. </p><p>I just wanted to take a moment to say that your response to this story and your lovely comments have made my first foray back into ff writing for ages SO enjoyable. I think part of the reason the chapters are just flying out of me is that I just can't wait to see what all of you think! </p><p>A little about me: my name is Chloe and I'm a Uni student from England. I'd love to get to know some of you and find out where in the world my little story has reached.</p><p> More to come soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Heading Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kore takes care of Hades. Hades struggles to deal with his new predicament around the woman he's secretly in love with.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“Oh, yeah, right,” Persephone reached over to loosen his tie, thinking it a silly formality when he was so obviously ill. His heart stuttered as she slipped the knot open, wishing the circumstances were different. “Yes and no.” She quoted. “I get the no,” she smiled sadly, gesturing at the shattered window, wind whistling through the empty pane. “But what’s the yes? What made any of… that okay?” Persephone stroked his face softly, thoughtfully. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Hades tried to fight the answer, but he had no energy left. He looked down, avoiding her gaze, “Y-you are here,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Persephone felt her heart swell with affection, almost to the point of pain. She tilted his head up with the hand on his cheek, looking deep into his eyes.</p><p>“I am <em>always </em>here, Hades,” She promised softly, “Always,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades felt his eyes prickle again, and his arms were aching to hold her anyway, so he pulled her into a hug and buried his face in her neck. Hades inhaled the floral scent of her hair and leaned into her warmth, trying to forget everything else existed for a moment. Her small arms reached out and held him too, tighter than he ever imagined the tiny dynamo was capable of. He almost groaned in relief at the palpable evidence that she <em>wanted </em>to be here, <em>wanted </em>to be holding him, even if it was just as a friend, or just out of pity. Her friendship was so utterly precious to him, he’d never understood those people who saw friendship as a poor substitute for romance. He would give anything to kiss her, just once, and he would not pretend that to be her friend whilst in love with her wouldn’t be torture but having her in his life in any capacity… that was worth anything.</p><p> </p><p>“Hades?” Persephone mumbled against his shoulder. He realised he’d been holding her tightly for <em>way </em>too long. He pulled away hastily.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Persephone said, “why have the cuddles ceased?” She pouted, holing her arms open. He smiled, tucking himself back down on to her shoulder. It felt so nice to be cared for like this, he realised. He was so used to doing the holding. “Hecate said you were sick. What’s going on?”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Hades huffed her floral-ness for strength, and she giggled as it ticked her. “I don’t know,” he said honestly, “I’ve been feeling strange since lunch.”</p><p> </p><p>“Strange how?” Persephone said softly, kissing the top of his head. Hades let his eyes flutter closed at the press of her warm, soft lips.</p><p> </p><p>“I…this is going to sound weird, but I don’t think I can… lie?” Hades mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t lie?”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t explain it, really. Every time I don’t tell the… truth, I…” He gestured vaguely to the trash can, “It’s disgusting, but I throw up. I retch. I don’t know what’s happening to me,”</p><p> </p><p>“I do,” Persephone said teasingly, “Karma for your scoundrel ways,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades chuckled softly. “That must be it,” <em>I could lie here forever</em>, he thought, her soft little chin pressed gently to his forehead. The words welled up inside him, unbidden, and he couldn’t stop them, “I’ve missed you” He groaned, “Sorry. Up until now, it’s just been direct questions. That came out of nowhere,” He rubbed his hands over his face. “It’s getting worse,”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” She grabbed the hand pawing his handsome face, holding it tightly in her own, “I’ve… I’ve missed you too,”</p><p> </p><p>“You have?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t have quite the same response to lying as you do, Hades, but you can trust me,” Persephone smiled, “I’ve missed you,”</p><p> </p><p>“I trust you, Kore,” He said, bone-tired and so comfortable he could cry.</p><p> </p><p>“Hecate gave me permission to take you home,  you know,” His eyes widened at the unintentional implications and she chuckled nervously, blushing a deeper shade of pink, “I mean, uh, help you get home, early, from work, if you were feeling sick,” She clarified gently.</p><p> </p><p>“As if I need Hecate’s permission to leave my <em>own </em>company early,” He grumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“There he is,” Persephone smiled down at him, “there’s the grumpy blue boy I know. You must be feeling better already,”</p><p> </p><p>“A scoundrel, sick or not,” He waggled his eyebrows. Another admission swelled up in his throat, “Here comes another… I’m sorry… <em>You’rewhat’smakingmefeelbetter” </em>he tried to make his voice small, but she heard, and she gathered him closer and hummed in surprised pleasure.</p><p> </p><p>“So, uhm,” She stuttered, blushing, “so, what do you say? Shall we go home?”</p><p> </p><p>The words <em>we </em>and <em>home </em>struck Hades a little harder than he expected, images unbidden of the two of them sharing the same home bombarded his brain. <em>Waking up together. Walking the dogs. Cuddling on the sofa, reading or watching TV. Cooking for her. Bringing her a steaming cup of tea while she studied, kissing the crown of her head and leaving her to get on to her work. Watching her emerge, damp and pink from a hot shower, walking towards the bed, </em>their <em>bed…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Fuck,” Hades mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong?” Persephone mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“I was just, um…” <em>NOOOOOOO! </em>“Thinking…some…n-nice thoughts,” She wrinkled her nose in confusion, laughing at him. “Please don’t press me on it right now, I’m a bit of a mess,” He begged softly.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course not,” Kore wrapped her arm around his head, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to take advantage of… this,”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, Kore. I…” Hades shook his head, “You deserve the truth from me. I just don’t want you to hate me,” He groaned, “Gods this is difficult, it’s like my filter is totally <em>gone</em>.” He sighed, “I really want to go home with you,” They blushed simultaneously again, “but I am not feeling up to driving right now, Kore,”</p><p> </p><p>“Oooh,” She squealed, “I forgot! You don’t know!” She bounded across the room to where she had dropped her bag and coat when she saw… that woman <em>hurting </em>him. She remembered the moment of blind rage, the need to protect what was…</p><p> </p><p>To protect what was <em>hers. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>She shook her head, <em>don’t get ahead of yourself, Kore. Just be a half-decent friend okay. </em></p><p> </p><p>She brought her bag back to the sofa, pulled out her wallet, and brandished a dark blue plastic card. Hades took it in his large hands, smiling despite himself at the little square picture of Kore blinking against the camera flash. “Learner’s permit!” She said victoriously.</p><p> </p><p>“Kore…” He groaned, “you’re a menace,”</p><p> </p><p>“Rude!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, given my predicament, you know that it’s true,” He said. She scowled at him playfully.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I’m pretty sure it just means that <em>YOU </em>think it’s true. Truth can depend on the perspective, Hades,”</p><p> </p><p>He was so winded by that idea that he only resisted a little bit as the little pink goddess wrapped his arm around her shoulders, supporting his weight as they walked to the elevator.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You're all too good to me and I love each one of you. Let me know what you think! Your praise sustains me. </p><p>- Chloe x</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Drive Me Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hades has control issues and the truth serum isn't helping.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Kore, slow down!” Hades panted, “I’m immortal and even I wish I had a second seatbelt!”</p><p> </p><p>She stuck her tongue out at him, blushing, “I’m at the speed limit, Hades,”</p><p> </p><p>“Actually, the speed limit is 80mph.” Hades said, his mouth engaging on its own, “You are currently at 84mph,”</p><p> </p><p>Kore laughed, little daisies blooming in her hair. “<em>So </em>pedantic, especially for such a scoundrel,” she grinned, flicking her eyes to him briefly.</p><p> </p><p>“Eyes on the road!” Hades huffed, partly because her driving had him on edge, and partly because he didn’t want to see the dark blush and blown pupils he was sure he would see in his reflection.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my God, relax,” Kore laughed, reaching over to mess with the radio. “you’re so dramatic. Oooh, I love this song!” She began bouncing in her seat.</p><p> </p><p>Hades groaned. Again, his reaction was the result of split alliances between his brain, his heart, and his body. He knew she had very little driving experience, and he wanted badly to keep her safe. He also never wanted to be the reason that her smile, that breath-taking smile, slipped from her face. She was just so happy and carefree and radiant.</p><p> </p><p>She was also bouncing around with gusto and he couldn’t help but notice, with a low groan, how her breasts bounced against her seatbelt. <em>Stop staring, old man, </em>he clenched his jaw, tearing his eyes away to look out the window.</p><p> </p><p>“Is this…” He said tentatively, “Lady Gaga?”</p><p> </p><p>“OH MY GOD!” Kore squealed, bluebells twining with the daisies, “<em>You </em>know Lady Gaga? The King of the Underworld knows Lady Gaga,”</p><p> </p><p>“I have… um, nieces,” Hades blushed, but the urge to tell the truth wasn’t going to let him stop with that half-lie, “p-plus she has some good upbeat songs. I work out to them s-s-sometimes,” Almost, but not quite. He tried to hold it back, the nausea rolling through him, “and sometimes I… sing them… in the shower… afterwards,” He huffed out a sigh of relief, the insistent pressure squeezing every ounce of truth out of him finally relaxing. “Gods, this is horrible,”</p><p> </p><p>Kore laughed again, but if he’d looked closer he would have seen her wide, large eyes, blinking rapidly with huge, dark pupils. <em>Hades, working out, in the shower… </em>She gulped. <em>Listening to Lady Gaga. </em>The arousal softened at the ridiculousness of the image and she laughed hard, but her heart was aching with affection. <em>He’s such a softie. </em>“Wow, that sounds amazing. I didn’t know you could sing?”</p><p> </p><p>“I sing. I didn’t say it was good,” He groaned, but couldn’t resist smiling a little at her teasing tone.</p><p> </p><p>“You <em>have </em>to treat me to a private performance sometime,” Kore laughed, then choked, realising what she’d just implied. “Not… it doesn’t have to be in the… uh, shower,” She blushed hard.</p><p> </p><p>Hades felt heat pool in his face and lower stomach, biting back a quite groan. The words bubbled up in his throat and he pressed the window button hard, anticipating the need to stick his head out of the window and vomit. <em>I don’t care if she thinks I’m disgusting for being sick, </em>Hades thought morosely, <em>but I couldn’t bear it if I disgusted her with just how much I </em>want <em>her to join me in the shower. Her soft, wet skin; droplets rolling down her neck and between her breasts…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“AHHH,” Kore cried, a kamikaze driver swerving in front of her with no warning. The breaks squealed and the car swerved out of control under her hands, as the other driver clipped the front bumper. The car behind blared its horn and narrowly avoided crashing into the their trunk. Kore managed to regain control as the driver behind pulled around them, waving his middle finger at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Kore!” Hades panted, “Kore, are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Tears were brimming in her eyes, and the flowers in her hair had wilted and fallen into the centre console. “I-I’m fine,” She said thickly, “I’m so sorry, Hades, I-”</p><p> </p><p>“Sweetness,” he said soothingly, reaching over to touch her hair gently, “you have <em>nothing </em>to apologise for. You drive like a maniac, but that was <em>not </em>your fault,” The little daisies bloomed tentatively where his fingers touched her. “Ah look, the idiot in front of us seems to have realised just who’s car this is,” He gestured ahead, watching as the driver hastily flicked on his turn signal and moved onto the hard shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be too hard on him,” She mumbled, indicating to the left and cruising onto the side of the road behind him. She turned the car off, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the headrest.</p><p> </p><p>“Kore, look at me,” She turned in her seat reluctantly to face him, her large, beautiful eyes the last thing to meet his gaze, “Are you okay? No pain? No whiplash?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine, I promise,”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, now, I need you to stop and let me blame this guy for what he did. He endangered m-my… friend, my dearest f-friend,” Hades wished he hadn’t invited her to listen to him, but he couldn’t let her blame herself for this, pride be damned, “because he was driving like a fool. I’m just going to go all <em>King of the Underworld </em>on him, okay? Scare some sense into him, okay?” He touched her cheek briefly and climbed out of the car.</p><p> </p><p>The green demon slithered out of his car, eyes wide and full of terror. “Your Dark Majesty,” the Demon dropped to his knees, “I cannot begin to apologise for-”</p><p> </p><p>Hades glanced back to make sure Kore’s window was closed, and she gave him a hesitant, confused smile, and waved. <em>God, she’s so goddamn adorable. </em>He stepped forward and grabbed the green demon by the collar. “Listen to me. You see that gorgeous, adorable creature sitting in that car over there?”</p><p> </p><p>“I… uh, I…?” He stuttered.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, so you don’t think she’s gorgeous? Adorable?” Hades scoffed.</p><p> </p><p>“N-no, my lord, no,” The demon stammered, “She’s very gorgeous and tremendously adorable. Why, any man would be lucky to-”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up!” Hades barked, “That woman is <em>everything </em>to me,” Hades hissed, the relief of speaking freely for the first time in hours coursing through him, “I would bend over backwards just to make her <em>smile</em>. I would snap you in half if I thought it would brighten her day, but it wouldn’t because she’s kind and good and lovely and would never want to see you hurt,” The green demon almost fainted with relief, “And <em>you!” </em>Hades barked, “<em>You </em>almost <em>hurt her</em>. You almost hurt the woman I… I l-love,” If throwing up because of lying pained him, this honesty made him feel so powerful he could barely contain himself.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so so sorry, my Lord Hades,” The green demon was still utterly uncertain whether he would leave this interaction with all of his limbs.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t apologise to me,” Hades picked the demon up by the scruff of the neck, walking him back to the car where Persephone waited. She looked out of the window at them with huge, bewildered eyes. Hades gestured at her to wind down the window. “Hi Kore, sweetness, my friend here has something he would like to say to you,”</p><p> </p><p>“I-I-I’m s-so sorry,” The green demon panted, pleading with his eyes for her to stop her madman of a boyfriend.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, um,” Kore said, “Don’t sweat it,” She said awkwardly, and Hades grinned at her, amused and delighted and more in love with her than his body seemed to be able to contain. <em>She said “don’t sweat it” to the guy I’m practically pressing up against her car window, </em>he shook his head, <em>she’s incredible. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Uh, Hades,” Persephone said urgently, “Could you let him go now? You’re not well, we should get home,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades laughed delightedly at those words again, <em>we </em>and <em>home. </em>Letting go, telling the truth to an idiot stranger, had made him feel invincible. “Okay, Kore.” He set the demon back on his feet and brushed him down, patting out the creases in his shirt. “Don’t drive like an idiot, okay? Have a good day,” Hades grinned and hopped back into the car.</p><p> </p><p>“You okay there?” Persephone looked at him, half wary and half amused.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been told that removing the eyes of those who wrong my… <em>you</em>,” He coughed, “isn’t an appropriate response. I was trying something new,”</p><p> </p><p>“You are full of surprises, Hades,” She shook her head, “Also, you’re 75% scoundrel right now. That was like a <em>Godfather </em>movie,”</p><p> </p><p>They looked at each other for a second, sharing a laugh.  </p><p> </p><p>“Take me home, little goddess,” He leaned back lazily in his chair, his fears about her driving ability put to bed for the moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, sir,” She grinned, turning the key in the ignition, and missing the tiny groan the rumbling engine drowned out.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What are your thoughts? It's getting harder to write now that I'm reaching the apex of this story and I don't want to let you lovely people down. </p><p>It's my birthday today/tomorrow (30th April) and your kind (But of course HONEST) words are the best birthday gift I could receive. </p><p> - Chloe</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Words on the Wind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Open windows look a lot like closed windows when you're distracted...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Persephone drove them home, trying to concentrate on the road. Her heart hadn’t stopped pounding. Getting into a car accident, that was one thing. It rattled her, and she was so afraid she’d damaged his car, especially after being so stupidly confident. She’d bounced around to the radio, then smashed a chunk out of the front of Hades’s car, every bit the dumb kid she always felt like around him.</p><p> </p><p>But then…</p><p> </p><p>Then he’d said <em>that. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>He’d opened his window part-way home, looking queasy. She wanted to touch him, comfort him, but she thought it would probably make things worse. She needed to get her poor, sick friend home and <em>then </em>she could inappropriately cuddle him. He’d said that she made him feel better, hadn’t he? That her presence and her touch had made him feel better. So what if his touch, his strong arms wrapped around her, made her feel better too? So what if she was intent on taking care of him because she was his friend but also because she was crazy about him and wanted an excuse to invade his house and sit by his sickbed?</p><p> </p><p>But then that other car had come out of nowhere, and she’d been so afraid. Afraid of getting hurt, of hurting him, or the other driver, of totalling his car, of having the hubris of the Lady Gaga episode come back to haunt her. She couldn’t believe she’d let the giddy energy of his presence intoxicate her in this way. She wanted to show off, to tease him, to prove that she was <em>not </em>just some dumb village girl. She’d seen the way he looked at her bare pink legs as she slipped into his car, how he’d stared at her when he thought she wasn’t looking, so she felt emboldened. And now his car was smashed and it was all her fault.</p><p> </p><p>Except he wasn’t angry or smug. He was shaken and affectionate, holding her face like a precious thing between his hands, and then he flew out of the car like an avenging angel before she could even get over the dizzying feel on his skin on hers.</p><p> </p><p>And then he’d said…</p><p> </p><p>She’d missed parts, obviously, words carried away as cars whipped past them. But she’d heard… enough. Enough to make her knees weak and her head feel as if it was floating off her shoulders. Enough to make her hands shake on the steering wheel.</p><p> </p><p><em>That woman is </em>everything <em>to me…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>…bend over backwards just to make her </em>smile… <em>you in half if… brighten her day, but it wouldn’t because she’s kind and good and… would never want to see you hurt. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>… </em>you <em>almost </em>hurt <em>her… almost hurt the woman I…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>The woman he <em>what? </em>She couldn’t breathe. <em>I mean </em>everything <em>to him? </em>Her heart fluttered so hard she thought it might pop out of place. <em>He would bend over backwards just to make me smile? </em></p><p> </p><p><em>That man is </em>everything <em>to me, </em>she thought. <em>I would do anything he asked of me. Was he really saying he felt the same? </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Hades seemed to be finishing with his victim and Kore hastily tried to arrange her features into something resembling normal. <em>Now is not the time, </em>she thought, <em>not on the side of the road. Not here. I need to think. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Take me home little goddess,” he’d said, and her stomach flipped. <em>Could this possibly be right? Had she misunderstood?</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Yes, sir,”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I adore you all! Last chapter of the night, I think, but there will be more tomorrow.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Crush</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Persephone finally gets him home.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so so much for the birthday wishes! It's crazy how tiring one day of light activity can be after a month of sitting around at home. Regular posting is the order of the day for the next little while!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Persephone snuck up behind him. He had been staring at his computer, glasses on and sleeves rolled up, the picture of productivity. Inside, though, he was desperate for a sweet interruption. She snaked her little arms around his shoulders, leaning in to whisper softly and seductively in his ear.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi,” She purred, “Busy?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, very,” He nodded seriously, leaning back against her with a sigh of contentment. “How can I help my little goddess?”</p><p> </p><p>“I was just a little…bored,” He could hear the coquettish brattiness in her voice, “I thought you could entertain me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you now?” His breathing hitched as she began kissing and sucking on his neck. “Oh,” he said, “oh that’s… mmmm,” Persephone’s hot breath huffed against his neck in a laugh.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t want to distract you from your work, <em>boss,” </em>She said, smiling at his groan, knowing how much he liked playing with authority. “I should probably just go-” He growled, grabbing her wrist and pulling her around the chair and into his lap. She shrieked and laughed, settling across his lap with her legs wedged on either side of his thighs.</p><p> </p><p>“You have already derailed any work I was planning to do,” He groaned as she wiggled her little hips over him, “Now you’ll have to entertain <em>me,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Yes, sir,” She purred, reaching down between them to palm his hardness. He moaned, long and deep, and captured her mouth in a searing kiss. As they broke apart, his mouth drifted down to her deliciously exposed neck, kissing and nuzzling and groaning as she shifted her weight on top of him.</p><p> </p><p>“Hades,” She moaned loudly, moving faster, “Hades!” She panted, “HADES!”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Hades woke with a start, panting as he stared into the eyes of the little, pink goddess he’d just been… dreaming about.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” She said, blushing, “I just… we’re here. You fell asleep a little while ago. You looked peaceful, and you must be tired, so I didn’t....” She gestured toward his house. “Should I… um. Do you need help inside? I can go straight after…?” She bit her lip. She seemed to be asking a question much bigger than <em>can I come inside? </em></p><p> </p><p>Hades cleared his throat, tugging his jumper lower over the erection his dream had left behind, shifting guiltily in his seat.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, okay,” Her face fell, a mixture of hurt and confusion, “I’ll just, um, fly back. Or maybe I’ll get a ride-” She babbled on, trying to retrieve her cell phone. Hades reached over to take her hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone,” He said, low and serious, “Of course I want you to come in. I want it more than… you c-could know,” He sighed, “I almost forgot about my…predicament.” He grimaced, “You can come in. You must come in. I owe you dinner, at least, if only to see the dogs,” They blushed simultaneously, his fingers creeping in between hers until they were holding hands in earnest.</p><p> </p><p>“That would be… really nice,” Persephone tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear.</p><p> </p><p>“I just have to ask one thing of you,” He looked down.</p><p> </p><p>“Anything,” She breathed, meaning the word more than he could imagine.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t ask me what I was dreaming about,” He brushed a thumb over her cheek.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>Minthe had finally freed herself from the vines that little pink <em>bitch </em>has tied her up in. Once they dropped her in the middle of her apartment, they seemed to lose all life, solidifying into organic chains bound tightly around her body. The thorns tore at her skin as she wriggled and fought. She found out, the hard way, that the vines were fibrous and tough, with sap that tasted like battery acid. She’d finally managed to get out of it though, and she sat bleeding and covered in sap against the wall of her apartment.</p><p> </p><p>Now… now she had nothing to do but recuperate, gather her strength, and plot revenge. That little flower whore was going to pay for this. For sticking her nose in where it didn’t belong, for getting in the way, for throwing her out a <em>window</em> and binding her in stabbing vines. She’d taken the man that <em>belonged </em>to Minthe, her one constant.</p><p> </p><p>She needed to shower, she realised, she needed to look her best for what came next. But first, while the wounds were still biting at her, exacerbated by the occasional stinging droplet of venom from the vines, she needed to set things in motion. She plucked her phone out of her pocket, noting with a new lick of fury that the pressure of the vines wrapped around her had cracked the screen.</p><p> </p><p>“Thetis? It’s me,” She said, firmly, “I need your help to crush a bitch,”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thoughts please! Love you all x</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Domestic Bliss Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Our favourite dweebs are playing house.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Enjoy my loves, I hope it's okay.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>“You ready?” Hades asked, softly.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes!” Persephone said, voice full of certainty and excitement.</p><p> </p><p>“It can be a bit overwhelming, sweetness,” He smiled softly down at her, “Especially all at once. You don’t have to-”</p><p> </p><p>“I <em>want </em>to,” She said, firmly, “I really, really want to,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades grinned, opening the patio door and letting the hounds descend. They loved their dad, sure, but big blue was old news in comparison to the small pink goddess at his side. She held the promise of double the usual number of pats, and perhaps even a greater degree of leniency in the doling out of treats. Plus she was kneeling on the ground, holding out her arms, calling them all <em>good. </em></p><p> </p><p>“Oh my god,” She said, patting as many fluffy heads as she could reach, “you’re such a good boy, yes you are, yes you are,” She told Mushroom and Big John, “Oh, little Fudge, you’re such a good girl, you’re so pretty!” She cooed. Pomelia rode proudly on Cerberus’s head, intercepting as many cuddles as she could, and Russel rolled immediately on to his back in the hopes of belly rubs. Cordon Bleu a watched on coolly, thoroughly above such gauche shows of affection. He would get his pets later, he knew, when father and the pink lady were less occupied.</p><p> </p><p>Hades watched on, emotion swelling up inside of him. She was just so <em>perfect, </em>he thought, almost breathless looking at the side of her beautiful face, she seems like she belongs here. Maybe she could be happy here? With me? <em>Don’t, Hades, </em>he cautioned himself, <em>don’t get your hopes up. It will just hurt more when she leaves. </em>He couldn’t help it though. He had a feeling that even if they remained friends forever, or his obvious, pining desire for her sent her running for the hills, the thrilling joy of these little flights of fancy would always be precious to him. A nice refuge he could go home to when things got tough. Obviously, in his dreams, she professed her undying love and they married and lived together in loving, oft-naked bliss. But these moments of warm, kind friendship, where she invaded his life and made it bright and covered it in colour and light and flowers...</p><p> </p><p>“What are you thinking about?” She asked, catching his eye as she let Cerberus shower her in kisses. His heart softened almost to the point of liquidity. He knelt beside her on the pretence of patting Cerberus too, but being close beside her was a fringe benefit, their shoulders brushing.</p><p> </p><p>“You,” He said honestly, deciding to lean into the pull towards brutal honesty inside him. “How… wonderful you are,” He said softly, feeling the surge of warm power that had accompanied his honesty before, on the side of the road.</p><p> </p><p>She blushed, dark blue flowers blooming on the crown of her head. She seemed to be searching for the right words to say. “<em>Oh,” </em>she smiled, “T…thank you. You’re wonderful,” She looked down. He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you want for dinner, little goddess?” He said softly, standing up and offering her a hand.</p><p> </p><p>“W-we could cook, if you have stuff, but if you’re sick maybe takeout?” She accepted his warm hand, and noticed that he didn’t release it when she was on her feet.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmmm,” Hades puzzled gently, engulfing her tiny hand between his large ones, taking an almost involuntary step forward, “Perhaps we could have take-out for dinner later, but it’s still quite early,” He shook his sleeve down to check his watch, but kept one of her hands hostage even so, “We would only be leaving work in an hour. We’ve got plenty of time,”</p><p> </p><p>“What should we do in the meantime, then?” Her breathing hitched.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe,” He said softly, “you could…” He breathed, before muttering the most seductive words she’d ever heard, all the while wearing the sexiest grin she had ever seen. God, she wanted to climb him like a sexy, blue tree when he said “…teach me how to make baklava?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Domestic Bliss Part Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Baklava is made and our two lovestruck nerds flirt outrageously.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hades had surprisingly stocked cupboards. It was all sleek and perfectly organised; it looked like the kind of kitchen contents artistically staged by a real estate agent. Persephone was carefully and lovingly making a mess of it.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you have honey?” She asked, arms full of frozen filo pastry and nuts and sugar and a measuring jug. She left cupboards open in her wake, a trail of loyal pups following her like she was the Pied Piper. Her long, lovely pink hair was twisted up on her head in a messy bun, the remains of her constantly blooming blue flower crown trapped between the strands and peppering the floor. <em>You’re so amazing. Please stay with me. Please don’t run when you find out how I feel. You look so </em>right <em>here in my home. </em></p><p> </p><p>He cleared his throat to fight the teeming flood of warm words he wanted to say and walked towards her. She blushed, looking up as he closed in on her, his long arm reaching up above her, lightly pinning her to the counter. She could easily slip away if she wanted to but, he noticed with a sharp thrill, she wasn’t moving. Instead, she squeaked. “Sorry, it’s just… up here,” He could have asked her to move, he thought, trying to casually huff her lovely floral scent, but this seemed like a much better idea.</p><p> </p><p>“N-n-no problem,” She smiled up at him. Hades shivered a little, bringing the honey down to her waiting hand.</p><p> </p><p>“What else, boss?” He asked, shoving both hands in his pockets and moving slowly, reluctantly backwards.</p><p> </p><p>“Boss, huh?” She smiled, spreading the ingredients out over the counter and directing him wordlessly to grab her the saucepan.</p><p> </p><p>He grinned and obediently moved towards the hanging rack of pans. “You get bossy when baklava is involved,” He teased, “you’re very intimidating,” She accepted the saucepan with a hand on her hip.</p><p> </p><p>“So, I get bossy when baklava is involved and you get bossy when everything else in the <em>world </em>is involved,” She smirked, “We’re covering all the bases,”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know, little Goddess,” He unbuttoned the sleeves at his wrists, pushing the sleeves of his white shirt up his forearms. She gulped softly. <em>Does he have any idea how attractive he is? </em>“You can be very authoritative. You have this… intense, palpable strength. Sometimes it makes you a bit scary,” He smirked, enjoying her playful scowl and pout, “but it mostly just makes you seem…” <em>like a queen, </em>the thought came into his brain unbidden but he managed to substitute it with a word truthful enough to fight the nausea, “…<em>formidable,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>She blushed, slowly placing the mixing bowl she’d retrieved onto the counter, “Oh,” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking at him with those huge, wise, gentle eyes. “T-thank you,”</p><p> </p><p>“Just the truth, little goddess,” Hades shrugged, “I am not in the habit of flattering people, and, if you had forgotten, I can’t exactly mislead you at the moment,”</p><p> </p><p>“Are we sure that’s what this is?” She looked down cagily, filling the measuring jug with water from the sink. “I mean, are you sure it’s a truth-telling thing? Or just, I don’t know, a saying-weird-stuff thing?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, no,” Hades’s brow furrowed, “everything this… whatever <em>this </em>is… has made me say has been absolutely true. Painfully true,”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone blushed, his words ringing in her mind: <em>that woman is </em>everything <em>to me… </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“I… um,” She choked, “Uh… do you… um…” Hades leaned in eagerly to hear what she was struggling to say, “Do you have a food processor?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades let out a confused titter, retrieving the appliance from under the counter. “It has seen very, very little action,”</p><p> </p><p>“Like food processor, like owner,” Persephone said playfully, immediately freezing and realising what she’d said. Hades choked on his own saliva. “I’m <em>so sorry! </em>I’ve been… um, spending a lot of time with Eros and his siblings. They make a lot of, um, jokes,”</p><p> </p><p>“Jokes?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, uh,” Persephone groaned, “You know, that’s what she said…. Is that what they’re calling it these days? …. title of your sex tape…” She blushed so hard she thought all the blood in her body was rerouting to two particular places. “It’s stupid but, uh, if you don’t keep up you get teased, <em>a lot,” </em>Persephone poured the water and squeezed honey into the pan, scooping out a few tablespoons of sugar. <em>She was trying so hard to seem busy</em>, Hades thought amusedly, <em>is she nervous? </em></p><p> </p><p>Persephone’s internal monologue was pretty much <em>I can’t believe I said the words SEX and TAPE in front of </em>him.</p><p> </p><p>“Interesting,” Hades smirked, “Okay, put me to work,”</p><p> </p><p>Her pupils dilated, the urge to be in <em>charge </em>sparking arousal inside of her. <em>Oh my god, stop acting like a horny teenager, </em>she chastised herself. <em>I </em>am <em>a horny teenager, </em>the other part of Persephone’s brain countered, <em>and the King of Darkness is asking me to put him to work…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Uh, sure, why don’t you crush the nuts?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s…” Hades cleared his throat, speaking deliberately, “…what she said,”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone gasped with laughter, grinning up at him. He flushed with pride; <em>he </em>had made her laugh like that.</p><p>                                                                      </p><p>                                                                        *****</p><p> </p><p>“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU DON’T OWN ANY APRONS!” Persephone shouted through laughter.</p><p> </p><p>“I DON’T TEND TO MAKE RIDICULOUS MESSES IN MY KITCHEN WHEN CERTAIN LITTLE GODDESSES AREN’T HERE!” Hades countered, his hands on his hips, scowling playfully at her.</p><p> </p><p>“OH <em>PLEASE,” </em>she rolled her eyes at him, “You’re the one who stores the COCOA POWDER on the TOP SHELF! WHO DOES THAT?”</p><p> </p><p>“UMMM, MAYBE PEOPLE WHO AREN’T FREAKISHLY SHORT!” He waved his hands in exasperation, “LOOK!” He reached up, grabbing the edge of the top shelf with <em>ease. </em></p><p> </p><p>“I’M FREAKISHLY SHORT?” She shrieked, “COMING FROM <em>YOU? </em>MR TOO TALL FOR THE AVERAGE DOORWAY! MR OH, I’M SORRY! I COULDN’T HEAR YOU, YOU’RE TOO FAR <em>DOWN!” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>They held furious eye contact for a moment, hands on hips, glaring and fighting their smiles. Hades’s head, and the coats of at least three of the dogs, were covered in fine brown powder. Persephone’s soft, white sweater dress had taken a fair amount of damage too. Finally, they both broke almost simultaneously into hysterical giggles.</p><p> </p><p>“You get so <em>blue </em>when you’re angry,” She laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“What about you!” Hades laughed, absent-mindedly reaching out to hold her elbows, thumbing the soft fabric of her dress, and sliding one hand up her arm to touch her newly-knee-length hair. She shivered at his touch. “This will come in handy if you need to escape from a tower,”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm,” She gripped his strong, thick forearms, relishing the opportunity to touch his warm skin, “Speaking of, you look <em>great </em>as a brunette,”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Kore,” He smiled down at her. The loving words that bubbled up in his chest escaped with ease; he didn’t even want to think about how painful and sickening they would be to keep in. “I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun with <em>anyone,” </em>His eyes were brimming with tenderness, “I love…” Persephone’s eyes widened, and that seemed to remind Hades of where he was. “SPENDING TIME WITH YOU. That’s it. That’s all I was going to say,” Hades stuttered hastily.</p><p> </p><p>Persephone opened her mouth to say something, but he was already gone, dashing down the hall to throw up in the nearest bathroom.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Domesticus Interruptus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some sexiness and masturbation in this chapter...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Fair warning for sexy times and masturbation ahead. Also CW for implied drugging. </p><p>I would like to clarify that the pizza delivery boy in this chapter is OF AGE, he's just immature :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A shower, they had decided, was a good idea. The clarification ‘<em>separate showers’ </em>flashed through both of their minds, making them both blush darkly. Hades led Persephone to the best guest bedroom, the guest bedroom that just happened to be just down the hall from the master bedroom.</p><p> </p><p>“Here it is! Towels are in the black wicker drawers on the left. Toiletries are in this caddy,” Hades rubbed the back of his neck as she sat on the edge of the bathtub, daintily removing her little, pink, fluffy socks. Suddenly, his mind was full of… good thoughts. Good thoughts he felt horribly, terribly guilty about as she smiled up at him innocently from her perch on the edge of the bath. <em>She’s going to be naked, in my house, just down the hall from where I will also be naked. Slick, wet skin. Water droplets tracing the curves of her body languidly, charting the path he desperately wanted to follow with his hands, with his </em>tongue…</p><p> </p><p>“Hades? You okay?” The gorgeous little goddess was standing in front of him, now. She’d let her hair down and its ridiculous length brushed his wrist as she touched his wrist tenderly. <em>I want to take her from behind while I wrap that hair around my wrist</em>. <em>Jesus, </em>he steadied himself against the sink, <em>get a grip, old man! </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Uh, yeah, fine, just a little queasy,” The lie quickly became the truth as the nausea crashed over him, “towels are in the black wicker drawers on the left,” he repeated inanely, darting to his own bathroom to heave miserably over the toilet.</p><p> </p><p>Once he was done, he heaved his tired body up and climbed into his shower, shedding clothes as he walked towards the glass door. The warm spray felt wonderful against his aching muscles, and, in here, he didn’t have to talk to anybody. He wouldn’t have to lie and make himself sick.</p><p> </p><p>The thought of other people in the shower with him connected like a livewire to his fantasies about Kore and his skin exploded. His cock, utterly deflated by the whole vomiting situation, sprang to life. <em>Wet, pink skin. Naked bodies, skin to skin, under the warm water. Licking water droplets off of her nipples…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Hades groaned, his fist colliding with the tile. This wasn’t right, he knew it, and yet the roiling illness in his stomach fell away as his fantasies took hold. With one tentative, guilty stroke of his hand along his length, he was feeling that golden, intoxicating power he felt every time he let go and told the truth. He moaned again, the sound involuntary and raw as he leaned against the shower wall and panted.</p><p> </p><p>“I want her,” the power flooded him as he mumbled the words to himself, breathlessly, “God, I want her. Every part. I want her to be <em>mine,” </em>The admissions felt almost as good as the insistent pressure of his hand around his cock, and before he knew it, he was on the brink. “I want to be hers. I want to belong to her. I want her to <em>want me. </em>I need her, mind, body, and soul,” He grunted, finally allowing the words to fade away, leaving their golden glow behind as the image of her sweet-naughty vixen smile, beckoning him to join her in the shower, pushed him over the edge.</p><p> </p><p>                                                                        ***</p><p> </p><p>Minthe slid down the car seat, trying to remain inconspicuous. Thetis sat in the driver’s seat of the dormant vehicle, feet on the dashboard as she flicked nonchalantly through a magazine.</p><p> </p><p>“Could you at least <em>try </em>to keep a low profile?” Minthe hissed.</p><p> </p><p>Thetis rolled her eyes, “I said I would come with you, babe. I didn’t say anything about going all <em>Mission Impossible,” </em></p><p> </p><p>“You’re a shitty friend, you know that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Mmmhmm,” Thetis smiled sweetly, flicking to the next page.</p><p> </p><p>“Why are you even <em>here?” </em>Minthe growled, crossing her arms. It had been a <em>long </em>day.</p><p> </p><p>“There’s nothing good on TV,” Thetis said honestly, with a shrug, “you’re very entertaining. Like, a car crash in slow motion had a baby with a really trashy reality show,” Thetis thought for a moment, “and then their baby had a deep inferiority complex. That’s what watching you do shit is like. Very entertaining,”</p><p> </p><p>Minthe bristled, her eyes narrowing, she was ready to crush <em>two </em>bitches today if she needed to. Then she spotted the little purple nymph on the Vespa.</p><p> </p><p>“Where did you say they ordered from?” Minthe asked, animosity tucked away for later now that Thetis was finally useful.</p><p> </p><p>Thetis pulled out her phone, checking Hades’s delivery account. He’d left it logged in when he’d given her permission to order in some food on it for Zeus’s birthday a few months back and had never asked her explicitly to log out. The King of the Underworld had unknowingly bought her a <em>lot </em>of ramen and boba tea since. “Uh… Ambrosia Pizza,” Thetis confirmed, “That’s him. Get to it. Hers is the vegetarian one, because of course she’s a goddamn vegetarian,” Thetis pointed down her throat, pretending to heave. “Remember, use double what you did a. We want this to happen fast!”</p><p> </p><p>Minthe swung her long legs out of the car, whistling to the startled delivery boy as he started to walk towards Hades’s front door. She was in a skin-tight black dress, with her pert red boobs pushed up to full advantage. Stilettos, a gift from Hades and ridiculously high, adorned her feet. “Hey, sugar,” She purred, “Can I talk to you for just a second?” She touched his chin gently, in a hypnotising line that made him shiver.</p><p> </p><p>The delivery boy’s eyes widened as he froze, hands trembling. Hormones raged through his poor little body as he looked from her face to her tits and back again, a frantic nod of assent.</p><p> </p><p>                                                                        ***</p><p> </p><p>“Hey!” Persephone bounded out of the guest bedroom as she heard him exit his, stopping in front of him with her hands automatically coming to rest on his forearms,“I’m starving! How was your shower?”</p><p> </p><p>“It was…uh, good,” He smiled down at her, a little strained. “How was yours?” He shifted back a little to admire her outfit. She was wearing his clothes, swamped in a navy blue <em>Underworld Con ’91 </em>hoodie and a pair of trousers that were shorts on him and a sort of culotte on her, exposing a good amount of her dainty calf and ankle. He shivered a little; <em>God, I want her to wear nothing but my clothes for the rest of time. I’m a goddamn caveman but she looks so good, so… </em>mine.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my God, your shower is amazing,” She grinned, bouncing a little, “The shower at Artemis’s place <em>wishes </em>it got that kind of pressure. It was heavenly,”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad, little goddess,” He smiled down at her, impulsively kissing her forehead as she gasped softly, “try not to make any more huge messes during your stay, hm?” He teased.</p><p> </p><p>“The only huge mess around here is <em>you,” </em>She teased back, sticking her tongue out at him. <em>You have no idea</em>, he thought. “besides, you promised me pizza. There’s nothing to mess up with pizza! We won’t even go near the kitchen,”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure you’ll find a way to make a mess, sweetness,” He rolled his eyes, “Menus are downstairs, shall we?”</p><p> </p><p>She nodded her head but before she could take one step towards the stairs he impulsively grabbed her, slinging her tiny frame over his shoulder as she giggled and squirmed. Her lovely, round little behind was right next to his head and it took all of his willpower not to spank it. <em>This </em>was already too far, god knows what that would be.</p><p> </p><p>He set her down in a heap on the sofa, giggling breathlessly as the dogs descended to check she was okay. Her giggles continued as the dogs snuffled her clean hair and skin, and found places on top of her and around her to hunker down for a nap. When she finally got her breath back, Hades had returned with the menus, and he found her sitting regally on his sofa with Cerberus wrapped around her back, Pomelia in the crook of her neck, Mushroom sprawled across her lap, and all of his other dogs crowding each other to be near her thigh behind her knee. She quirked her eyebrow at him and crossed her arms as he smiled bashfully.</p><p> </p><p>“What was <em>that!?” </em>She asked, a smile in her voice that she was trying to keep from her face.</p><p> </p><p>“Um, so…” Hades rubbed the back of his neck, sitting beside her but leaving a good chunk of distance between them, “I’m not <em>sure </em>but I think… the truth thing, whatever it is, it’s encouraging me to be truthful about my, ahem, actions as well as my words. Urging me to do all of those silly impulsive things that flit through my mind, and the things I really… really want to do that I’ve been holding back on,”</p><p> </p><p>“Like what?” She asked innocently.</p><p> </p><p>“I masturbated in the shower,” came out before he could stop it, but he managed to claw back the <em>over you </em>his brain tried to chase it with.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes were wide as saucers, a secret, hot thrill of electricity sparking through her belly at the thought. <em>Hades, a king, powerful and domineering, touching himself roughly in the shower, fucking his hand, thinking about her. Hot beads of water pooling in his abs and the delicious curves of his hip bones as he pleasured himself. Hades moaning loudly, head thrown back as he…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>Fuck, </em>she thought, <em>how the hell did I </em>ever <em>think I was going to be a Goddess of Eternal Maidenhood?</em> Her thighs trembled, wetness pooling between them that she hoped would not seep through on to his couch.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” She said dumbly. He had his head in his hands, slumped shoulders and heavy breaths suggesting just how hard this all was. She paused for a second, before touching his shoulder gently. He melted into her touch.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so sorry Persephone,” He said raggedly, “I hate this. I wish I could control it. Please don’t be disgusted by me,” He didn’t look at her, but also didn’t resist as she disentangled herself from a grumpy brood of dogs who had <em>just </em>got comfortable to wrap her arms around him properly.</p><p> </p><p>“I could <em>never </em>be disgusted by you, Hades,” She whispered against his hair, “don’t be ashamed. Once we have had dinner, we will call Hecate. She’ll get this fixed for you, I know it. I’m just sorry you have to deal with this,”</p><p> </p><p>He leaned into her embrace, huffing her scent and kissing her cheek below her ear gently. “Sorry, another… impulsive… thing. I’m just grateful,”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t apologise,” She leaned back to smile at him, arms still intertwined with his, “Now, you owe me a <em>giant </em>vegetarian pizza!”</p><p> </p><p>                                                            ***</p><p> </p><p>Hades and Persephone were… there’s no other word for it, they were hardcore snuggling. They had started merely sitting thigh to thigh on the sofa, with Hades’s arm around Persephone, a residual effect of their previous hug. Then, as the evening wore on, the underworld chill drew in. He fetched a throw for them and she returned to her place at his side, snuggling in closer to gain better access to his warmth and make the most of the warm fabric wrapped around them. Slowly, her legs had inched over on to the L-shaped section he was stretching his leg out on, and they were suddenly both lying on the L-shaped bit, legs entangled and heads barely elevated, Kore’s head on his chest as he perched his chin on her crown. The dogs dotted themselves around to sleep as the Gods watched Netflix.</p><p> </p><p>It was warm, cosy, domestic <em>bliss </em>and, growling stomach be damned, Hades cursed the pizza delivery for disturbing them. She hopped up from the sofa, a hint of reluctance to her movements, perhaps? “I got it!” She said cheerfully, patting his thigh. He caught her wrist, gently, and encouraged a bundle of drachma into her hand, “Stay there, your majesty!”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh… hi,” The delivery boy said, looking dazed and rumpled. “Pizza for Mr Hades?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, that’s us, thanks!” She smiled uneasily at the delivery boy, so woozy and distracted he miscounted her change twice. “Uh, keep the change, that’s really okay, bye!” She shut the door, wondering what could have turned a teenage boy-nymph into such a zombie? “Oh my God,” She called to Hades, “I’m starving!”</p><p> </p><p>She plopped down next to him, handing him his pizza and snuggling back down under the blanket at his side. She wasted no time, shoving a slice into her hungry mouth and chewing with vigour and delight. “Mmmmm,” She was starving, and wolfed down her food so fast she barely noticed the slight pearlescent sheen over the cheese and vegetables, barely detected the hint of bitterness in the flavour of the food.</p><p> </p><p>Hades’s pizza, free of pearlescent glows and bitter aftertastes, disappeared in a flash, a few stray bits of bacon or chicken finding their way to one of the dogs. Cerberus enjoyed the crusts, apparently. Hades nestled closer to Persephone, delighted that she had resumed their entangled position when the food was finished. He settled into the same warm, gentle, heady domestic calm of before, abruptly shattered when he felt his little goddess’s deft little fingers moving across his lap…</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let me know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Anti-doting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Hera? Hey, it’s Hecate,” Hecate smiled, “Hades has me on a really important errand so, of course, I have a couple of hours to get cocktails, wanna join me? Boy do I have a story for you..."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CW for magical drugging and vomiting</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Uhhhhh…” Hades froze, eyes wide. Her little hand was sliding up his thigh and, when he managed to get himself together long enough to look down at her, she knocked the breath out of him. She was watching her hand intently, seemingly mesmerised by the movement of skin against fabric against skin. “K-Kore…” <em>Don’t stop her, </em>his pathetic libido begged, <em>let her do whatever she wants. She wants to touch us… haven’t you been dreaming about this? And now it’s happening, you ruin it by panicking. </em>He took a deep breath through his nose as the tips of her fingers grazed him. <em>No, she’s never… we need to talk first. I can’t mess this up. </em>“Kore!”</p><p> </p><p>She looked up at him with dreamy, unfocused eyes that slowly resolved into confusion and, as she looked down at her hand, embarrassment. “I…” She stared at her own hand in confusion, then up at his wide eyes and flushed skin. His hand was gripping the back of the sofa so hard she thought he might tear the leather. “I’m sorry… I don’t…” She lifted her hand away and he almost groaned at the loss. <em>You fool. </em></p><p>“Hey, Kore, hey,” Hades soothed, trying hard to keep himself under control. He wanted to touch her, to close the distance that he’d created between them and wrap her in his arms, but he was just so confused. <em>Would she want that? What was she doing? </em>“It’s okay…sweetness, I just didn’t want you to do anything you… uh, I didn’t know…”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh,” She blushed hard, “You had…um, lint on your… t-t-t-trousers,” She said with difficulty, her lovely, pink brow furrowing in confusion as the nausea seized her. “What did you, um, think I was doing?” She ground out.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, oh, I…” Hades sighed, resigning himself to what would follow, “the… uh, lint thing. T-thanks.”</p><p> </p><p>They looked at each other for a moment, the tension and the nausea swelling, until, simultaneously, they both dashed to the nearest bathroom they could find.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>“Hecate!” Hades hissed urgently, “I have been calling you and calling you!”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, hello to you too,” She said archly, “and I was in one of the 50 meetings in Olympus <em>you </em>put in my calendar because, and I quote, “I can’t deal with my dumb fucking brother today”,” She left a long, intentional pause.</p><p> </p><p>Hades raked his hand through his silvery hair, groaning, “Look, Hecate, I’m sorry, I’m just…” He rubbed his hand over his face, “What do you know about truth spells?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, that Zeus is terrified of them,” She snorted, “Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think <em>someone </em>has put one on me,” He said, “and maybe Persephone too,” He recognised that queasy, tense face, trying so hard to keep the sickness and the truth down. “I’ve been this way since this morning, but she… it only seems to have kicked in in the last half hour,”</p><p> </p><p>“That why you were so… weird this morning?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, it’s like I can’t stop it. And if I try…”</p><p> </p><p>“You throw up?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes!”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Hecate said, “Where are you now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Home,” He replied, an additional detail tugging at his reluctant tongue, “home with Persephone,”</p><p> </p><p>“Is it getting weaker over time?” She fought to keep the grin on her face out of her voice.</p><p> </p><p>“No, not for me anyway. It’s getting stronger,” He almost whined, “It started with answers to direct questions, then it was any thought in my head, and now I’m even <em>doing </em>things that I’m tempted to do and hold back on,”</p><p> </p><p>“Like what?”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t ask me that. No, no, no, no,” He retched, “Imasturbatedintheshower. Fuck!”</p><p> </p><p>Hecate wrinkled her nose, “You needed a magical spell to have a wank?” She scoffed, “No wonder you’re such a grumpy bastard all the time,”</p><p> </p><p>“Hecate,” He said warningly, “stoooop… it was more who I was touching myself over. Goddammit,” He heaved, forcing the words to stop there.</p><p> </p><p>“God, too much information!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m under the influence of a truth potion, Hecate. I don’t <em>want </em>to be saying any of this,” His voice was desperate and edged with anger and panic.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, so, let me get this straight,” Hecate covered her mouth for a second, hiding the huge smile and trying to get a hold of herself. “Ahem,” <em>serious tone. </em>“You and Persephone are stuck in your house, under the influence of a truth enchantment that makes it impossible, if not incredibly uncomfortable to lie. This spell is getting stronger over time and shows no sign of fading. Have I got it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, that’s everything,” Hades said, “Please, Hecate, I need your help, old friend,”</p><p> </p><p>Her heart softened at his words. <em>Oh, I’ll help you alright, just not in the way you </em>think <em>you need. </em>“Okay, look, I can get an antidote,” She did her utmost to sound urgent, “but it’s complicated, playing with truth. I’ll have to gather some very difficult ingredients, it will have to be brewed slowly and carefully, and I’ll have to have it blessed by Alethia, goddess of truth,” Hecate almost giggled at her <em>important business </em>voice. <em>I should have been an actress. </em>“It will take until tomorrow morning, at least. If you can give me time, old friend, I can help you. Just stay put and stay safe for now, the last thing we need is for you to tell a paparazzo outside your gate what you <em>really </em>think of Zeus,”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, Hecate,” Hades pinched the bridge of his nose, “It’s so hard but… if it can’t be avoided, I can hold out. I can wait for you to make your preparations. Thank you,”</p><p> </p><p>“Take care of yourself, and Persephone,”</p><p> </p><p>“I will,” He said gravely, honestly, and hung up.</p><p> </p><p>Hecate looked around to ensure there were no witnesses, and then did a rare wriggle of glee. She scrolled through the ‘A’ section of her phone contacts.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Alethia,” Hecate grinned down the phone.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you want?” Alethia said goodnaturedly, “you only call me when you want something,”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be like that, Ally,”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t help it,” The truth goddess said with a smile in her voice. “Bluntness is part of my charm. How can I help, babe?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think someone’s put a truth spell on Hades and Persephone,”</p><p> </p><p>“The Spring Goddess?” Alethia hummed conspiratorially, “I’ve heard…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Hecate grinned.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, admissions of love are my <em>favourite,</em>” Alethia grinned, “it’s the most beautiful the truth gets. So, you need an antidote?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but obviously…”</p><p> </p><p>“Look, Hecate, I’m a busy woman,” Alethia said playfully, “I can get you an antidote but it’ll take until tonight. I can’t just stop everything for you,”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, no,” Hecate laughed, affecting a distraught tone, “you mean, it won’t be ready until noon tomorrow?”</p><p> </p><p>“At the earliest! I’m swamped!”</p><p> </p><p>The goddesses laughed together. “I miss you, old friend,” Hecate smiled, “visit more often!”</p><p> </p><p>“You visit me!” Alethia countered, “the lies on Olympus give me a headache, and most of them come from the king. Maybe the Underworld will be a bit more bearable now…” She hummed thoughtfully, tingling in the anticipation of a great release of truth like dammed water. “Well, you know I didn’t lie before, I’m busy! Mortals lie almost as much as the God King and they need to be guilted into repentance,”</p><p> </p><p>“Bye, Al,” Hecate hung up, scrolling back through her phone. She called another goddess, hopping from foot to foot. “Hera? Hey, it’s Hecate,” Hecate smiled, “Hades has me on a really important errand so, of course, I have a couple of hours to get cocktails, wanna join me? Boy do I have a story for you,”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let me know what you think!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Naptime</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kore needs a nap.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Persephone wiped the back of her hand across her mouth and slumped back against the cold, black tiles of Hades’s bathroom. She was trembling and pale, but the violent vomiting was done as suddenly as it had come.</p><p> </p><p>The bathroom door was nudged slowly open and Persephone panicked weakly, imagining how hideous and run-down she looked currently. “Hades, wait-” but it was not the blue god that poked his head around the door, but the long, black snout of Cerberus. He sniffed and whined, and she realised he wanted to comfort her but was asking for permission. <em>This dog understands consent better than some men I know… </em>she laughed bitterly, bile swelling again for a completely different reason. “Come, Cerberus. Come here, my good boy,”</p><p> </p><p>Cerberus whuffed contentedly, trotting into the bathroom and sniffing her thoroughly. “I don’t imagine I smell so good right now, my good boy,” She stroked his silky head, running his velvety black ears through her fingers as his enormous tail began to wag. He nuzzled her neck and then curled up beside her, laying his head in her lap. “That’s my good boy,” She whispered, closing her eyes, his warm weight curled around her and his rhythmic breathing against her stomach lulling her into an exhausted sleep.</p><p> </p><p>It could have been hours later, or minutes, she heard a gentle voice full of pity and care exclaim “Oh, Sweetness,”. Hands were on her face, tentatively stroking her cheeks, “Oh, my love,”</p><p> </p><p>“Wha…?” She mumbled sleepily, reaching out towards the voice. She was 95% asleep and couldn’t open her eyes, but she knew that voice. She knew it meant warmth, and safety, and kindness. She felt immediately it’s calming affects and reached out blindly towards it, barely knowing what she expected or wanted. Her fingers collided with soft material and firm skin and she fisted her hands in his shirt. <em>Yes, </em>she sighed in contentment, <em>this is what I wanted. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Shhh, my love,” The voice whispered, brushing her hair away from her face. “let’s get you to bed,”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, please,” she mumbled sleepily. A strong arm wrapped around her back and under her knees and lifted her as if she weighed nothing. She huffed happily into his neck, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“Cerberus, stop fussing, I’ve got her,” The voice grumbled softly, the rumbling in his chest vibrating against her. “Open the door,”</p><p> </p><p>Before she knew it, she was half-aware of the lovely arms lowering her on to something soft, and she hummed in pleasure as soft lips pressed a kiss to her forehead. That pleasure turned to upset and panic as the warm, strong embrace started to move away.</p><p> </p><p>“No…” She whined.</p><p> </p><p>“No?” The lovely voice laughed at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Nooooooo…” She sighed, “bring your arms,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades laughed as quietly as he could, “what on earth does that mean?”</p><p> </p><p>“Arms…” She groaned, <em>why wouldn’t he just hold her again? She was asking </em>so <em>nicely. </em>“Stay!!” She huffed.</p><p> </p><p>“Stay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Stay,” She whispered, reaching out to fist his shirt again. “Please,”</p><p> </p><p>The soft, breathy, sleepy little plea broke him. “Oh, sweetness,” He said softly, brushing his lips against her forehead again, “As if I could deny you,” He watched her face as she slept, kneeling beside the bed. “I would do anything you asked of me, little goddess. I am irreparably at your mercy,” He brushed her sweaty hair away from her forehead, almost overwhelmed by the love he felt for her.</p><p> </p><p>She enjoyed his gentle, loving tone but she groaned impatiently in her sleep, tugging ineffectually at his shirt. He laughed at her gentle, sleepy demand and stood, enjoying her little grumpy whimper of disappointment and how it died in her throat as he lifted the covers and slid into bed beside her.</p><p> </p><p>She smiled in her sleep, sighing contentedly, utterly ignoring the chaste, ginger distance he had tried to keep between them. She laid her head on his chest, nuzzling her head insistently under his chin, slung an arm over his chest, and threw her leg over his thigh. <em>Oh, fuck it, </em>Hades thought, gathering her to his chest and huffing the beautiful, floral scent of her hair and the delicious feeling of her <em>in his arms. She wanted me to stay, </em>he thought, <em>she wanted me to hold her. I will do this and no more and thank Gods and Fates and whatever other machinations of the universe daily that he had been allowed this quiet moment of absolute wish-fulfilment.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>With her warm, fussy, gentle weight in his arms, all over his body, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. <em>This is one of the happiest moments of my life…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>                                                                        ***</p><p>Kore woke, warm and comfortable and a little sticky with sweat. Her leg was wedged in between two longer, stronger ones, her hand fisted into the dark blue shirt, a chin rested on top of her head, and two arms were wrapped tightly and tenderly around her.</p><p> </p><p><em>I can’t remember the last time I slept that well, </em>she stretched contentedly, snuggling closer to him. <em>I could stay like this forever. </em>Her eyes slowly blinked open and widened as she realised where she was. <em>Oh, my gods. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>She was in the guest bedroom, in the huge warm bed, sleeping off a bout of horrible sickness, wrapped in the arms of the King of the Underworld. How the <em>hell </em>had this happened? <em>Not</em>, she thought as he nuzzled her hair and tightened his arms around her, <em>that she was complaining. </em></p><p> </p><p><em>I should get up. </em>She thought, not moving an inch, <em>he’s my boss, and my very platonic friend, </em>staying exactly where she was, <em>this is very inappropriate. </em>She nuzzled closer and felt… something hard and insistent against the top of her thigh, sandwiched between her legs. <em>Oh. </em></p><p> </p><p>“Um…” She mumbled, cheeks flaming pinker, “Hades,”</p><p> </p><p>He groaned softly in his sleep, barely grazing her thigh with… <em>himself</em>. She shivered at the feel of him. <em>Oh. I should really wake him up. </em>“Um, Hades…” She squeaked softly, he mumbled and grabbed her hip, pressing himself closer to her. He groaned and she gasped, a bolt of arousal shooting through her.</p><p> </p><p>He mumbled something and kissed her face clumsily, gripping her hip in a delicious way. “Persephone…” he groaned, burying his face in her hair as he drew her leg up over his hip.</p><p> </p><p>“What did you say?” She squeaked. His eyes flew open, grabbing her protectively, assuming they were under attack.</p><p> </p><p>“Wha…?” He groaned, staring at her in confusion. “Sweetness, what’s…are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>The truth bubbled up inside of her. “You moaned my name, in your sleep,” She said, pushing herself away from him as he struggled, torn between holding her still and respecting her desire to get away from him. He let her slip away, and she leaned up on her elbow. “You were, um, holding me and you pulled my leg up and you…” she gestured helplessly at his erection. Hades wanted to disappear into the earth. “and then you said my name. You… uh… moaned it,”</p><p> </p><p><em>I knew this was a mistake</em>, he wanted to disappear, “Oh, Kore, I’m so sorry,” He whispered, unable to look at her. “You asked me to stay with you this evening…” <em>no, no, no, no, no, stupid goddamn truth spell </em>“And I wanted to. I wanted to be close to you. But I swear to you,” He sat up urgently, finding the strength to look in her big beautiful eyes in order to promise this, “I swear on my life and all I hold dear that I <em>never </em>meant to take advantage of you. I’m so sorry, Kore, I’m so sorry,”</p><p> </p><p>He couldn’t bear to meet her gaze any longer. <em>She’s disgusted by me, </em>he thought miserably, <em>as well she should be, old man. She told you how she liked to sleep with the nymphs at home. She is used to platonic affection and you couldn’t even give her that for one night. You couldn’t just hold her and be there for her and-</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Hades,” She said tentatively, “I believe you. Even if you weren’t under the influence of a truth spell, you have my trust,” She touched the back of his hand, and he thought he might disintegrate with gratefulness at her gentle forgiveness, her easy trust. “You didn’t take advantage of me. I know what it feels like to...to be taken advantage of,”</p><p> </p><p>He opened his mouth, furious and confused, <em>who took advantage of my Queen? I will tear them apart and scatter their limbs across the cosmos- </em>She held up a hand. “Not now, please,” She asked softly.</p><p> </p><p>“I will refuse you nothing, Persephone,”</p><p> </p><p>“Then tell me,” She said, “what were you dreaming about?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hehehehehehe...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Pillow Talk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>BIG CW: for the brief mention of sexual assault and trauma towards the end of the chapter. I've boxed it off with asterisks so you can avoid it if you need to!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Persephone…” He gasped, his stomach turning inside out.</p><p> </p><p>“Why can’t you tell me?” She huffed, climbing out of bed and looking around agitatedly.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you looking for?” Hades asked breathlessly, his stomach clenching insistently.</p><p> </p><p>“My socks, if you must know,” her hair was growing, wildly, full of weeds and tangled vines.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re angry,”</p><p> </p><p>“No kidding,” She growled, retrieving a sock from the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“Why?” He grasped his rolling stomach with both hands as he sat up against the headboard. <em>Keep asking her questions, </em>he panted softly, <em>it’s keeping the illness at bay. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Because you lie to me!” She was waving the single, fluffy sock she’d found around to punctuate her point. “because you let me feel like I’m crazy for feeling the way I do, or for thinking… when you touch me…” Her words stuttered to a stop. “That’s not fair. I’ve caught <em>whatever </em>this is from you, and you’re doing it again. Making me spill my guts and just <em>sitting </em>there. Why do I always have to be the one telling you?” She said pathetically, “What, has it worn off for you? The spell,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades’s stomach flipped in response, “No,” he barked out, “it’s getting worse,”</p><p> </p><p>She scoffed, “Then how can you still be lying to me?” She growled, vines twisting around her limbs as she tried to get a hold of herself. “How can you still lie when I can’t even… look at me!” She said desperately, “I can’t control <em>this</em>. This is how I feel inside, all the time, and I can’t keep it in!”</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone,” Hades bit out, “please!” He climbed out of bed, walking towards her. His heart stuttered with hurt when she backed away from him. “I don’t want you to think badly of me. I feel like I might pass out if I don’t tell you the truth, but I <em>can’t </em>because you’ll despise me,”</p><p> </p><p>“Why do you care what I think?” She almost yelled in exasperation, “you act like I’m nothing but a friend, a dumb kid hanging around, a stupid village girl who doesn’t even have a bank account… but you <em>care </em>about what <em>I </em>think <em>so </em>much that you can’t even be honest with me when you’re under a truth spell?” She spat in disbelief, stalking towards him, the air crackling with her power as her vines grew and twisted, “It <em>hurts, </em>Hades. Don’t pretend it’s because you fear <em>my </em>bad opinion,”</p><p> </p><p>“I do, Persephone,” He said desperately, “I value your good opinion above anyone else’s,”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a God! A King!” Her eyes were wide and angry and confused, her face streaked with tears. She felt gutted, pulled apart by the power of the truth serum inside of her and yet full of golden strength each time she loosed one of the truths she’d kept bound up tightly inside. “Why do you care what I think?” She was right in front of him, staring into his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>He grappled with himself momentarily. <em>All will be lost, </em>he thought, but the insistent, agonising pressure in his abdomen answered before his inner voice could, <em>we don’t have a choice. </em>“BECAUSE I <em>WANT </em>YOU!” He gasped out, <em>finally. </em></p><p> </p><p>All at once, she was in his arms, her tiny little frame pressed against him as her arms wrapped around his neck. She was <em>kissing him,</em> he realised with a bolt of arousal and shock and bone melting joy. The golden power the truth serum rewarded him with seized his body and he wrapped his arms around her waist, deepening their kiss.</p><p> </p><p>She made a soft little noise of pleasure, her hands reaching up to tangle possessively in his hair. He grunted and pulled her closer, lifting his little goddess so that he might have better access to her delightful mouth. Her little tongue slipped inside of his mouth and he groaned in surprise and pleasure, sitting down heavily on the bed because his weak knees couldn’t support both of them any longer.</p><p> </p><p>He had inadvertently placed her on his lap, legs either side of his hips. She sat up on her knees to get better access to his mouth and, gods, he would never complain about what was going on, it was like a dream made flesh, but he desperately wanted to grasp her hips and pull her delicious weight down on to his aching erection. <em>I don’t think I’ve ever been this hard. </em>He reprimanded himself quickly, <em>stop it, old man. She is letting you kiss her which is so much more than we will ever deserve. Do not get ahead of yourself. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>His inner voice had a point. He would lay his crown at her feet just to kiss her, and worship her, and be in her proximity. Anything she was willing to give, he would accept gratefully, whatever the cost. <em>But to be inside of her… </em>he thought with a desperate, animalistic groan into her hot, inviting mouth.</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone,” He whispered when their lips slowed and pulled apart, placing a tender kiss on her neck that made her shiver. “Kore, my little goddess,” He whispered, peppering her neck and all the collarbone he could reach with kisses.</p><p> </p><p>“Hades,” She breathed, tightening her fist in his hair.</p><p> </p><p>“Gods, little goddess,” He groaned, “Please say my name again,”</p><p> </p><p>She pressed her tight little body to his, her breasts pushed up against his chest, as she smirked, enjoying the power. “My Lord Hades,” She whispered next to the shell of his ear, “My King,”</p><p> </p><p>He groaned aloud and shivered as her pretty little mouth descended on his neck. “Kore…” He groaned, “Kore… wait,” It took every ounce of strength in his body to say it, to stop her, to push her back.</p><p> </p><p>Her face fell, her blush deepening to embarrassment. The vines, he realised, the vines that had been wrapping themselves around her, like thorny chains of protective armour, had turned into dark blue flowers. They lay around them, a blanket of midnight blue, the shade of his skin.</p><p> </p><p>She had been building to the peak of her dreadful power, to the point at which most Gods let themselves go, let their powers obliterate any chink of weakness. Instead, this beautiful woman, before his very eyes, let her twining armour fall away. His dreadful, awesome queen was sitting before him, a girl, no pretence, all honesty and vulnerability. She was a thing of almost pure power, uncontrollable and wild, and she had bared herself - blue flowers the colour of his skin that threaded into her hear every time he touched her, <em>how did I not notice?</em> – exposed her tenderest parts to him.  </p><p> </p><p>He owed her that much in return.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Kore… wait,”</p><p> </p><p>She almost sobbed in frustration. <em>No, </em>she admonished herself, <em>he will not see us cry, Kore. We have let him soften us from the peak of our power, tame us under his hands. I will not suffer the indignity of letting him see us hurting, too. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Kore, please,” He whispered, she would not look at him, “Persephone, little goddess, look at me,”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to let me down gently,” She said soft, cold, and in control.</p><p>“What?” He asked, genuinely bemused. “Kore, I… please, don’t put up your walls. It’s just me – hi!” She smiled a little at that. Suddenly, they felt like <em>them</em> again. Just <em>them </em>teetering on the edge of something beautiful. <em>Don’t you dare screw this up, </em>he warned himself, <em>vulnerability time, charmer. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Hi,” She mumbled, looking away. But she was still letting him hold her, still letting him draw her sweet, soft body against the hard lines of his chest and abdomen.</p><p> </p><p>“Kore, my beautiful little flower, why do you think I stopped us just now?”</p><p> </p><p>She mumbled something, hiding her face in his chest. “What was that?” he teased lightly, “hmmm?”</p><p> </p><p>“You realised that it wasn’t… as good as you were imagining,” She said softly, “I hate this truth stuff,” She pouted.</p><p> </p><p>“Kore,” He cupped her cheek, tilting her face up to look at him, <em>come on, honesty and vulnerability, just lean into the spell, let it do the work, </em>“In the, oh, approximately six million times I have fantasised about kissing you, I have never <em>once </em>come close to imagining how good that just felt,” he breathed through the stomach roiling discomfort of exposing himself and the glowing pleasure of telling the truth and having her in his arms. “It was… incredible,”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?” She looked up a little, shyly.</p><p> </p><p>He rolled his eyes at the disbelief in her tone. He placed his hands on her hips and tugged downward gently, “May I?” He asked, she nodded eagerly, so he drew her down over his hard, aching cock. They groaned simultaneously as her lovely weight settled over him. Her eyes were wide as saucers.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” He nodded, “this is what you do to me,” she slid forward experimentally over his slacks and his eyes rolled back into his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Interesting,” She said, huskily.  </p><p> </p><p>“Gods, you teasing little minx,” He groaned.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t understand, then,” She said, looking up at him through her eyelashes as she began rocking herself gently back and forth. He collapsed bonelessly onto the bed, his legs hanging over the edge and a pretty little pink goddess balanced on his hips, whimpering softly as the head of his cock grazed her clit. “Why did you stop?”</p><p> </p><p>“Gods, Kore, I can’t…” He panted, “When you’re… unf,” He gathered all of his will, grasping her hips in his large hands to still her. She looked down on him, eyes full of mischief and gorgeous, long hair falling around him like a curtain. “I don’t just desire you, Kore,” He said softly, <em>just let the spell pull it out of you, it’s easy, </em>“I… like you. I care for you so deeply. You are kind, and gentle, and a little bit terrifying in the best way, and every moment I spend with you is so amazing and silly and fun, and whenever you leave I just… it feels like a light has gone out, like I’ve been doused in cold water, and I just wait impatiently for the next time I can find an excuse to see you,” He ran a hand up her silky thigh, under the cuff of her borrowed shorts, as she shivered, “to <em>touch </em>you and be near you. I didn’t want to just… like some animal. Like my brothers. I want to be clear, Kore, if you… w-w-want me, you have me. Body and soul. As much or as little as you want. But I want it all,”</p><p> </p><p>Kore looked at him with an unreadable expression, and he thought he might die of embarrassment. He turned his face into the duvet under his head, hiding his gaze. “H-Hades, I…”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to let me down gently,” He repeated, smiling a sad, rueful smile. She reached down to turn his face towards her.</p><p> </p><p>“My Hades,” She whispered, the possessive words sending a thrill through him, “My beautiful King. Of course, I want you. How could I not?” She smiled as his wide, disbelieving eyes. She took in a deep, shuddering breath, and let the spell pull the words out of her. “You are the most wonderful person I’ve ever met. You were my friend first,” he tried not to read too much into the past tense, <em>if I’m not just your friend any longer, what does that make me, </em>“you saw me, cared for me, for me, not for my lineage or my body,” Hades shifted guiltily under her, “Oh, as if I haven’t been guilty of objectifying the boss,” she rolled her eyes, while he stifled a groan. <em>She’s been objectifying me Awesome. </em>“May I finish?” She asked sternly, arching a brow.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” He said breathlessly, delighting in her authority. <em>Oh, what a queen she would be…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p> “I have wanted you, <em>body and soul</em>, for almost as long as I’ve known you. I just thought…” She hesitated, biting her lip, “Minthe. And you were always trying to keep me at a distance. I thought you were just attracted to me and you didn’t want to jeopardise your relationship or our friendship by giving in to temptation,” He opened his mouth to speak but she gave him a stern look, and he looked chastened and delighted, all at once. “I wanted you so badly, but I couldn’t bear being a one-night-stand. I want to walk the dogs with you, and make horrendous messes cooking and fight about it, and fall asleep in your arms. I want it all, I…” She bit her lip, <em>come on ‘seph, you’re doing so well. </em>She rebuked herself, <em>not this. It’s too much. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“I love you,” He said, simply, his eyes glazing with unshed tears. “I know it’s too soon, and I’m several thousand years too old for you, and a million other reasons why I shouldn’t tell you this, but the fact remains. I love you,” He closed his eyes, unable to look at her while she weighed his words.</p><p> </p><p>“I…” He felt tears falling on his skin and his eyes flew open.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, my little goddess,” he cooed, pulling her down from her perch on his hips and rolling them gently on to the bed, “oh my sweet girl. It’s okay,” He whispered, touching her hair, “I’m sorry, it was too much. You don’t have to say anything, just lie with me, okay? My sweet girl,”</p><p> </p><p>They lay in silence for a little while, her sobs and hiccoughs slowing over time as he soothed her.</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone, please, tell me what’s wrong,” He begged gently, “I will do anything to make it better,”</p><p> </p><p>She buried her face in his chest. “It’s stupid. I just…” She sniffed, “I… want to say it,”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to,” He kissed her head, “You have given me more in the last day than I could ever deserve. Anything more is, frankly, an embarrassment of riches. I just needed to tell you,” He said simply, holding her close.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not that. I… I’ve never felt it before but, if this isn’t it then… I can’t imagine what it feels like,” She shook her head, “It’s just that… I have to tell you something,”</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone, you can tell me anything,” His calm voice betrayed the thrill of anxiety that shot up his spine.</p><p> </p><p>************************* CW: Sexual Assault, Trauma********************************************************</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I just…” she huffed, holding back another sob of frustration, “<em>this </em>is what it’s meant to be like. THIS. I feel so safe, and so in control. You would never hurt me, and I <em>want </em>you to touch me," tears fell fast and silent down her face. “I wish it had been you, the first time,” Here it was, one of the final tangled secrets she’d left hidden inside.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>************************* CW: Sexual Assault, Trauma ******************************************************</p><p>“Persephone, my love,” Hades said, an edge of anger and terror barely concealed in his voice. “I don’t understand. What happened?”</p><p> </p><p>And so, she told him everything.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Precious Stones, Blue Flowers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fury and Sadness and Love, oh my...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>BIG TW for discussion of sexual assault, and symptoms of PTSD after sexual assault. </p><p>I have put asterisks around the, particularly triggering content as usual. Does this actually help? Is there a better way I could be doing this? I want to make it as accessible as possible!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Persephone watched in disbelief as the eyes of the King of Darkness began to well with tears. She knew better than most anyone how gentle and kind he was, how loving and caring, but she had never seen him cry before. He held her tightly, stroking her hair from roots to the ever-growing lengths as she sobbed into his chest and bared all to him. Snowy lilies bloomed in her tresses as she curled up in his arms and that’s what tipped him over the edge; she filled the bed where she had let him love her for the first time with flowers of mourning.</p><p> </p><p>She was grateful for the truth serum, grateful that she could just speak on autopilot, focusing her conscious mind, instead, on his warm arms, his gentle hands, his quiet words of comfort. He was hiding it well, but she felt yet more attuned to him now that they had dialed up their intimacy, and she could feel the rage vibrating under his skin like distant tremors. She felt the desperation to maintain control in his tightening hands. His anger was a soothing balm, water in a desert; the queen inside of her thrilled at the building wrath of her king.</p><p> </p><p>His tears, though, they spoke to the woman inside of her, the goddess who loved him, and the girl who was sitting in the lap of her lover.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Hades whispered, “Thank you for telling me, my love,” His voice was thick with emotion. <em>This isn’t about you, </em>he reprimanded himself, the queasy ache in his stomach as he swallowed back his words of rage and sadness and possessive, protective aggression, <em>just be here for her. Give her anything she needs. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“It’s okay, Hades,” She whispered, “You can be angry. You can…” She bit her lip.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Hades said low, dangerous, sensing the idiotic thing she was about to say.</p><p> </p><p>************************CONTENT WARNING: Sexual Assault, PTSD, Victim-blaming ********************************************************</p><p>“It’s, um…” She mumbled, the truth serum dragging her behind it, “it’s okay if you think… badly of me. You are so confident in my power and yet I couldn’t even…” She waved her hands, at a loss, fresh tears beginning to well in her already red eyes, “I thought you might think I was… damaged. Used. You might think differently about…” She groaned and buried her face in his shirt.</p><p> </p><p>“Kore,” He said seriously, “If anyone else had been hurt like this… if Artemis, or Eros, or one of your flower nymph friends from the mortal realm… if any of them had been hurt like this, would you think badly of them?” He asked, firm and disapproving, but softening his toughness with plenty of love and gentle kisses to every part of her he could reach. “Would you think they were any less powerful? Any less worthy? “Damaged” or “Used”?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” She admitted softly.</p><p> </p><p>“Give yourself the credit you would give your friends,” He said softly, “Why do you treat everyone with kindness, no matter how undeserving we are, but treat yourself so cruelly?” He threaded their fingers together, gathering her closer to his side.</p><p>**************************CONTENT WARNING: Sexual Assault, PTSD, victim-blaming****************************************</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” She admitted softly, marvelling at the huge warmth of his hand around hers, “Something to do with my mother’s… control issues? And perfectionism. Hers and mine. It powers me, you know, keeps me going. I wouldn’t be where I am or who I am if I didn’t have that drive but… sometimes…”</p><p> </p><p>“It hurts you too?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” She mumbled, “I gotta get better at balancing,”</p><p> </p><p>“Unbelievable,” He pinched the bridge of his nose, supressing a playful smile until the last second, “she’s being a perfectionist about being less of a perfectionist,”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up!” She shoved him, laughing. He laughed with her, shifting to meet each other’s eyes. As their laughter faded, they remembered the lovely new pastime they’d recently discovered.</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone,” He licked his lips, looking at her mouth, “May I-”</p><p> </p><p>She launched herself forward, kissing him tenderly. He was still thrumming with energy, a muddled, barely contained cocktail of arousal, love, rage, and sadness. She could feel his hand trembling against her face.</p><p> </p><p>“Please, Kore,” Hades whispered softly as they broke apart, “please do not blame yourself for this. This is not your fault, and if you blame yourself I’ll be forced to…” He gritted his teeth, jaw clenching in barely restrained fury.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll be forced to?” She looked at him with wide eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Make <em>his </em>execution even more excruciating than I’d already planned,”</p><p> </p><p>She gasped softly at the rage that bloomed in his eyes, the fury he’d swallowed down, against his Godly instincts AND the truth spell, to comfort her. There was a cracking sound, and she looked up in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>The ceiling was glittering, hanging low with enormous crystalline stalactites. Swathes of the walls had peeled away, and amethyst had bloomed between the exposed bricks like sparkling purple moss. She reached up to touch her hair, realising that the blue flowers that had bloomed at his touch had turned into Lapis Lazuli combs in her hair, perfect, precious imitations of the organic versions she’d made.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Kore whispered, looking at the evidence of his redirected rage, “Oh, Hades,” She turned to him and touched his face.</p><p> </p><p>“Aidoneus,” he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers. “That is my given name. Only those who… I love call me by that name. You need not use it always; Hades is my true name now. But it’s… like Kore, it is an intimate name, it would mean… a great deal to hear you say it. Would you use it now, please?” He was trying desperately to keep himself under control, veins of diamond splitting the wall behind his head like crystalline threads of ice.</p><p> </p><p>“Aidoneus,” She whispered, “My Aidoneus,” He let out a strangled groan, burying his face in her neck, sapphire beads and opalescent freshwater pearls peppering her hair, “How could you ever doubt your beauty?” She gestured around them, “Even your fury is beautiful, Aidoneus,”</p><p> </p><p>He couldn’t bear not to be kissing her any longer.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Your kind words sustain me and keep me writing. I have never made it this far into a story before. I love you all and I'm so glad my silly story is making so many people's lockdown a little brighter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Third Base with the King of Darkness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just some unashamed smut, since we've dealt with so much emotion these last few chapters. Enjoy it, you filthy animals.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kore couldn’t deny it, his emotion and rage had her crawling out of her skin with arousal.</p><p> </p><p>She had imagined telling him about a billion times and she’d anticipated a lot of different responses. Anger, sure. Disgust, she’d hoped not but it was a possibility. Sadness. Pity. Wrathfulness. Coldness, that’s probably one of the things she dreaded the most, that she would tell him and that their natural comfort and warmth would fade, that their newfound <em>thing </em>would disappear like water vapour.</p><p> </p><p>What she hadn’t anticipated was this cocktail of emotions. She hadn’t given him the credit of complexity, hadn’t imagined that he would feel many things at once. His fury at her violation, his deep sadness at the theft of her autonomy, his solemn gratefulness that she had trusted him enough to tell him, his continued delight at their newfound affection, his… love for her (she still couldn’t believe <em>that</em>) all tangled together as he kissed her. His lips became desperate, and she matched his frenzied kisses and wandering hands.</p><p> </p><p>He groaned as she bit his lip, her hands fisting in his hair. Arousal rocketed through both of their bodies at her roughness, her lack of control. He rested his hands tenderly against her lower back, showing more restraint than he felt.</p><p> </p><p>“Kore,” He groaned as she moved to bite and kiss his neck, “I can’t be… I can’t be gentle right now. Can I please… be rough with you?” He asked, hands sliding down towards her delectable behind. “You know you can stop me anytime. Tell me if it’s too much. I just need…” He grabbed two rough handfuls of her ass and met her shocked eyes as she leaned away from his neck, “Is this okay?” She rolled her eyes but loved how he made constant consent check-ins so goddamn hot.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, please. I like it, a lot. Just… I’m happy to, um, fool around, I’m just… I’m not ready to…” She bit her lip, “Not yet. Sorry,”</p><p> </p><p>“Kore,” He put his hand in her hair and tightened his fist slowly, enjoying her gasp and the hooded look of arousal she gave him. “You do not apologise for what you want and what you’re ready for, do you understand?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” She gasped, biting her lip, “your majesty,” she breathed, wriggling triumphantly against the hands on her ass.</p><p> </p><p>He groaned roughly. “My little goddess has noticed that I have a bit of a <em>thing </em>for authority, hmm?” He slid his hands up from her delightful, plump behind to her hips and drew her down on his impossibly hard cock. She whimpered, trying to fight his firm grip to slide against him and get some friction against her aching core; he wouldn’t let her, and she huffed in frustration, even as her building arousal betrayed her. <em>He’s so strong. </em>“Ah, ah, ah. Answer me,”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” She whimpered, “I noticed so I asked E-Eros,” She panted as he began to move her, agonisingly slowly, over his length. “He said it was called a kink,” She bit her lip.</p><p> </p><p>“Mmm, very good,” He loosened his grip, settling back against the headboard and allowing her to move as she wished. She shivered and braced herself against his broad, muscular shoulders, rocking back and forth over his cock until they were both panting. “Do you have any kinks, little flower?”</p><p> </p><p>“W-what?” She stuttered, her smooth movements over him becoming jagged as she blushed.</p><p> </p><p>“You heard me, little goddess,” He smirked, bucking up against her slightly to make her whimper, “do you have any kinks? And remember, my precious flower, I will <em>know </em>if you lie to me,”</p><p> </p><p>Her mouth opened in disbelief as she let out a disgruntled little squeak. “Not fair!” She groaned.</p><p> </p><p>He leaned forward to hold her chin firmly in his hand, testing the waters. Her eyes widened and darkened, and she gasped. “Too much?” He whispered, she shook her head vehemently with the range of motion he allowed her, and he grinned wolfishly; <em>she likes this. </em>“I never claimed to be fair, little goddess. Answer the question,” He ordered.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” She whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“Good girl,” He put on his best <em>Daddy </em>voice, chasing a hunch. Her eyes widened and her hands fisted into his shirt, her knees tightening around his hips. <em>Got you. </em>“Would submission happen to be one of those kinks, my good girl?” He smirked at her as she shivered and groaned.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you bastard,” She whimpered. His eyes widened, hands tightening to the point of bruising on her hips. “Mmm, is your <em>good girl</em> cursing one of yours, <em>sir?” </em>He grunted, thrusting up against her.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you are playing with fire, my love,” He slid his hands up her waist.</p><p> </p><p>“Mmm, well, someone promised to be rough with me,” She whimpered as his cock rubbed against her, “and I’ve been woefully disappointed so far, your majesty,”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, really?” He grinned wolfishly, “you’re going to regret saying <em>that</em>, my naughty little goddess,” He groaned into the shell of her ear.</p><p> </p><p>“Promises, promises,” She tried to be coquettish, but that required restraint and she thought she might explode with <em>want. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Suddenly the gorgeous man beneath her was moving, shifting them off of the bed and pulling her up on his waist. Her legs wrapped around his hips automatically as she squeaked in surprise, her warm centre settling on his cock in a delightful way. It took all of his effort to disentangle her, his delightful little limpet, and drop her on the bed. She landed with yet another delightful squeak and an adorable bounce. He leaned down over her, propping himself over her on one arm, and quirking one rakish eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>His other hand slid up her borrowed shirt, palm flat against her warm, soft belly. “Such a good girl,” He hummed, “so sweet, so soft, so <em>beautiful,”</em> she squeezed her thighs together, whimpering at his approval. His hand inched up until he was just beneath her chest. “May I?” He asked, tugging experimentally at her shirt.</p><p> </p><p>“You may do anything you wish, my king,” She said in a voice that made his knees give out beneath him, forcing him to kneel beside the bed, looming over her. “I will tell you if you go too far, I promise,” She squeezed the hand that wasn’t palming her warm flesh, “truth spell, remember?” She said at his dubious look. “Stop second guessing, my king. I want you, I want this. I’ve told you what I’m ready for, and I’ll stop you if you go too far. Now, for fuck’s sake, touch me!” She begged, wriggling under him.</p><p> </p><p>“Such a filthy mouth,” He tsked, releasing her hand to adjust his throbbing cock. “such a dirty girl,” He groaned, sliding his hand up the top and closing his hand around her full, round breast. They both gasped. He needed to <em>see </em>his hand wrapped around her gorgeous flesh, needed it like he’d burst out of his skin if he didn’t. “Take off your clothes, keep your underwear on,” he ordered, leaning back to give her room to move. She obediently sat up and got to work but bit her lip.</p><p> </p><p>“Um, your majesty?” She looked up at him through her eyelashes, “I am your humble servant and I want to please you, but I’m afraid I can’t,”</p><p> </p><p>His lusty eyes faded into concern, “Kore, why? Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, sir,” She whispered, batting her lovely, huge eyes, “you see, I’m not wearing any underwear,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades felt his eyes roll back into his head, his body slumping across her lap as his cock throbbed pathetically. <em>This is crazy, </em>he thought as she petted his hair and cooed teasingly, <em>I am a man with millennia of sexual experience and here I am about to cum in my pants like a horny teenager. Gods, I want her. I </em>need <em>her. I’ve never felt desire like this. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>He slowly recovered an ounce of composure and sat back on his heels, only to be met with a topless Persephone. He almost keeled over and she burst into another round of triumphant giggles. The laughter died in her throat when he surged up, pinning her wrists to the bed with one huge, strong hand.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s so funny, my naughty little Kore?” He purred, running his free hand down the curve of her waist. He noted and enjoyed the way she squirmed at his touch.</p><p> </p><p>“N-n-nothing, my lord,” She bit her lip, “please,” she begged softly, as his hand skated over her skin, avoiding all of the places she was desperate for him.</p><p> </p><p>“Please, what?” He quirked an eyebrow, his shirt unbuttoned and mussed, his hair dishevelled, his cock straining against the front of his slacks, smirking down at her and looking every bit the scoundrel that she joked he was. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you want, my little flower,”</p><p> </p><p>“Please,” She ground out as his hand ran, whisper-soft, between her breasts, “I need you to touch me,”</p><p> </p><p>“I am touching you,” He hummed, “whatever could my little Kore want?”</p><p> </p><p>“Touch my breasts, please,” She begged, “Touch my… um…” She nodded down to her crotch. “I don’t know what Olympians call it,” She whined, struggling against his hand.</p><p> </p><p>He leaned forward to press his lips to the shell of her ear “Your pussy?” He breathed, “You want me to touch your beautiful tits and that hot, little, pink <em>cunt…</em>is that right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh Gods,” She whimpered at his filthy words, designed to shock and arouse her. “Oh Aidoneus, yes, please touch me,”  </p><p> </p><p>The use of his given name was all it took to tear away his last shred of self-control. He grasped her breast in his free hand, massaging it, watching in wonder as his hand toyed with her soft, pliant flesh. She groaned, arching her back and pressing the heavy, round weight of her breast into his hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Gods, I’ve imagined getting my hands on you like this a million times,” He groaned, releasing her hands to unbuckle his belt; his erection was straining uncomfortably against the confines of his slacks. Always dextrous, the hand on Kore’s breast continued to move, pinching her tight, rosy nipple between his fingers as she gasped and bucked. “I thought I was just a dirty old man, fantasising about a beautiful young goddess I could never have,”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m yours, Aidoneus,” She moaned as he rolled her nipple between his fingers harder, “I thought about it too. Every time we were alone together…” she panted as his other hand came up to worship her other breast with attention, “I wanted you to pin me down and have your way with me. I wanted to be ravished by the King of Darkness,” He let out a noise somewhere between a whine and a groan, surging forward to wrap his lips around her nipple. “Oh Gods, yes! Hades, that feels so… oh gods,” He flicked his tongue over her sensitive bud and she wound her fingers into his hair. He switched his attention to the other breast which was, if it were possible, more sensitive than the first. He relished her breathy moans and panting, sucking and licking relentlessly as his hand slid down between her legs.</p><p> </p><p>“Mmm,” He hummed around her nipple and pressed his thumb against the top of her cleft, through the thin material of his shorts. She arched off of the bed, crying out his name. Her eyes were dazed. <em>Oh little goddess, </em>he thought, grazing her nipple with his teeth and making her whine, <em>I’m far from done with you. </em>“These trousers are becoming quite the hindrance, Persephone,” he mused, releasing her nipple with a wet pop, tapping against the approximate location of her clit with one long finger, she moaned and writhed. “Shall I take them off?”</p><p> </p><p>She nodded breathlessly. “Oh no, little goddess,” He murmured, “What did daddy say?” He thought he’d give another nickname a try, relishing the opportunity to unearth new kinks; she writhed like she’d been electrocuted at the combination of his rhythmic finger against her bundle of nerves and the dirty new nickname.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, daddy,” she whimpered, <em>oh yes, </em>he thought, <em>very nice. </em>“please, take them off,”</p><p> </p><p>“Good girl,” He cooed, “that’s my good girl,” He leaned up to kiss her, hot and insistent, as his hand slid the oversized shorts down her lithe pink legs. He broke away to look down at her naked body. “Fuck. Persephone, you are just… so beautiful,” He said reverently, like a mortal beginning to worship. She blushed, self-conscious all at once, trying to cover herself. He caught her wrist. “Let me see you, please, Kore. My Persephone, you are the most exquisite creature I’ve ever seen, please do not deny me the opportunity to see you,”</p><p> </p><p>She relaxed a little, dropping her hands to her sides as he explored the new terrain. Her long, shapely legs; her tiny feet with high arches he wanted to run his finger along and make her shiver; her wide, shapely hips tapering into her little waist; the soft pillows of her upper thighs, almost begging him to rest his head; the slick of wetness dampening those inviting little thighs; the dark pink thatch of hair above her slick, pink pussy.</p><p> </p><p>He reached out a reverent finger, tracing the line of her slit as she hissed, before settling on her clit. He caught the bundle between two fingers and began massaging as she cursed and writhed beneath him. He worked one of the large fingers of his other hand into her tight wetness, groaning at the feel of her. <em>I won’t last five minutes, </em>he groaned internally as her slick, wet heat gripped his finger.</p><p> </p><p>“Please, Aidoneus,” She sobbed, “Please, make me cum,”</p><p> </p><p>He happily obliged, pulling her down the bed and throwing her beautiful legs over either shoulder. She looked down at him, propped on her elbows, hair mussed and breasts bared carelessly, eyes dazed, looking deliciously <em>fucked </em>even though he’d barely touched her so far. He kissed up each pillowy thigh, making her groan in pleasure and impatience, squeezing his head slightly with her soft, wet skin.</p><p> </p><p>All at once, he plunged into her core, wrapping his arms under her thighs and burying his face in her clit. She moaned and whimpered, initially with surprise and then with bone-melting pleasure. She gripped his hair in her little hands and pressed her warm thighs in pleasantly on either side of his head. He hummed against her clit and she gasped, her head lolling back and her eyes rolling into her head.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, oh, oh, oh,” She panted, pressing him deeper into her pussy, “OH FUCK AIDONEUS!” She cried out as she shuddered around him, her sweet release drenching his chin. Her vision went black around the edges, pleasure seizing her in ways she didn’t even know were possible.</p><p> </p><p>She slumped back on to his bed, boneless and spent, and he crawled up next to her, wiping his glistening mouth with the back of his hand. He gathered her to his chest, feeling like the luckiest man in the universe. His cock was a nagging, aching presence in the back of his mind but he didn’t even care at this moment. He had pleasured his goddess, worshipped her, and given her pleasure. He had never felt more like a King than with his queen lying breathless and spent across his chest.</p><p> </p><p>They lay like that for uncounted minutes, enjoying the tenderness and the intimacy and, in Persephone’s case at least, waiting to remember her name and where she was. Eventually, though, she rallied, and her thoughts turned hot and devious.</p><p> </p><p>“My king is left wanting,” She purred, pushing Hades’s loosed belt open and sliding her hand into his underwear slowly, an inch at a time. He was pretty sure he’d stopped breathing. “I am your humble servant, <em>my lord</em>, and it would be my honour to bring you pleasure,” She looked up at him, doe eyes widening innocently, even as her hand closed around his aching flesh.</p><p> </p><p>“FUCK!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Third Base with the Goddess of Spring</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hades heads to his weekly therapy session, and Persephone comes along. </p><p>Also, a flashback to some lemony fun. She's a fertility goddess and they're both on a truth serum that makes them act on their impulses, it's honestly a miracle they managed to get clothed and out of the house tbh...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wrtiting is coming a little less easily to me at the moment but I am determined not to abandon this. You're all too lovely, and I want to see this story through (and maybe a silly, fluffy sequel if there is demand) for you.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Persephone wanted to sulk as they pulled up to the therapist’s office. She’d agreed to it, sure, but she’d expected it to take more than a couple of hours for him to get it sorted. <em>Damn the influence of a king. </em>She crossed her arms and tried to pout, considering refusing to get out of the car. She wondered how he would deal with her brattiness, a secret thrill running through her at the thought of <em>punishment</em>.</p><p> </p><p><em>Oh, the things they’d done together. </em>She squeezed her thighs together.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you thinking about, little goddess?” Her handsome chauffeur asked her, taking one hand off of the wheel to squeeze her thigh, making her shiver.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, just about the dark king who locked me in his bedroom and had his way with me for hours,” She said nonchalantly, cutting her eyes sideways to watch him grit his teeth.</p><p> </p><p>“Mm,” He choked, rallying impressively as his hand slid up between her legs, “I can’t say I blame him. You are… intoxicating, my love,” He squeezed her inner thigh and she squeaked.</p><p> </p><p>“Eyes on the road, your majesty,” She huffed, biting her lip to fight the groan of disappointment as his hand returned to the wheel.</p><p> </p><p>“You and Eros are conspiring to drive me mad,” He said roughly, tightening his grip on the wheel. “Did he have to bring you the skimpiest skirt he could find?”</p><p> </p><p>She smirked, glancing out of her window. She rubbed her thigh, <em>accidentally </em>making the tight faux leather skirt ride up. <em>Tight little skirt, as requested, </em>Eros said with a smirk, <em>something pretending to be innocent up top – that’s my gift to you. </em>She stroked the soft wool of the snug, low-cut sweater. “The truth serum wouldn’t allow her to answer him with silence. “I asked him to,”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Eros,” She said seriously, whispering urgently into the phone, “I need advice, and probably a change of clothes in a bit, and I really need you not to torture me right now, okay?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Cinnamon,” She could hear the laugh in his voice, “When did a simple “hello” go out of fashion? What’s up?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“So, um, I might’ve just left Hades in his bedroom…” She groaned softly in embarrassment.</em> <em>“I told him I needed a moment,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“What’s going on, Cinnamon?” Eros asked seriously, “He’s not pressuring you, is he? I’ll kick his ass!” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Eros-”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Better, I’ll get my mom to kick his ass. She’s been waiting millenia for an excuse-”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Eros!” She interrupted, “He’s not pressuring me. He’s…” she hummed dreamily, “he’s perfect,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Hoo boy, Cinnamon, you’ve got it bad,” Eros chuckled delightedly, “Okay. So, shoot! I’ll help you, but I need you to promise you’ll give me </em>all <em>the sordid details. </em>Soon,<em>” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Fiiiiine,” She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, giggling a little into her hand. </em>I look like I’ve been ravished.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“So, what do you need, babe?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Um, so, I…” She steeled herself, “I, um, touched his… thing but then I freaked out. I don’t know how to… do it. Can you give me some, um, pointers?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“We’re here, little flower,” He said softly, turning off the ignition. She huffed and crossed her arms, half-purposefully pressing her breasts up. “Kore, may I remind my bratty little love that this was not <em>my </em>idea,”</p><p> </p><p>“I knoooooow,” She huffed like a petulant teenager, “but I thought it would take looooonger,”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry I’m so expedient,” He rolled his eyes, “We don’t have to do this, my love. I can make you another appointment, later, whenever you want. But,” He reached across to take her hand, “From experience? It won’t be any easier if you wait,”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,”</p><p> </p><p>“Plus, there’s this amazing place just around the corner that makes the most incredible gyros,” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, “I thought… if you wanted, we could, um, go on a real date,”</p><p> </p><p>Just when she was determined to be a brat, he decided to be heart-meltingly delightful. “No faaaaair,”</p><p> </p><p>“The date isn’t conditional on your therapy session, Kore,” He looked at her seriously, “I’m not forcing you to do anything, my little flower. I wouldn’t,”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, Aidoneus,” She sighed, “I’m looking for someone to blame. I’m sorry,”</p><p> </p><p>“This is a good thing, but a hard thing. Trust me, I know,” He covered her little hand with both of his. “I wish I had taken this step earlier, and I want to help you do it too, but this is <em>your </em>choice. I’ll follow your lead,” He kissed her softly, stroking the side of her face reverently. “I can rearrange my appointment too. Tell me what you need, I’d do anything for you,”</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s get it over with,” She sighed brattily, “then you owe me gyros, and a spanking for how difficult I’m being,” She hopped out of the car before he could react.</p><p> </p><p><em>“Are you okay, little goddess?” he tried to keep his voice light as she approached the bed. She was wearing nothing but the button up she’d grabbed from the dresser on her way out. </em>His <em>button up. He tried not to think the hot, possessive thoughts his brain was trying to thrust in front of his eyes. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Yeah, sorry,” She sat on the bed in front of him. His shirt swallowed her, but the three buttons she’d bothered to close at her midriff doing nothing to contain her ample breasts and the plump swell of her hips. </em>Now is not the time, you perv, <em>he reprimanded himself, reaching out to grab her hand. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Little flower, you have nothing to apologise for,” He said seriously, with a short sigh, “Whatever you’re ready for, at whatever pace you’re ready for, okay?” He dipped his head to meet her eyes,</em> <em>“I can take care of </em>this <em>myself,” he gestured vaguely at his crotch, “It’s not your job, or your responsibility, or your duty. Gods, what a miserable, awful man I would be if I thought I was </em>owed <em>your touch. I know the mortals have some strange ideas about that, but that’s mostly because they’re children in the world who worship my idiot brother,” he rolled his eyes. “They will learn. But you need to know </em>now. <em>I never want to ask more of you than you desire. Your choice, always,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>She flushed warmly. She knew all of these things, really, they were intuitive. But her mother had never allowed sex or sexuality to be a topic of thought, much less discussion. Persephone had learned about sex piecemeal, from the whispered giggles of the flower nymphs, to the insinuations of her mother’s guests, to the things she’d heard since being in Olympus. Oh, the things Eros had taught her would make her mother’s head explode. Speaking of the things Eros had taught her…</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Well, what I want now is to please you,” She said simply, the truth potion herding her towards the most basic and truthful version of her thoughts. She slid her hand up his leg, slowly rubbing the fabric on his thigh and enjoying the way his breathing hitched. “I want to bring you pleasure, like you gave me. If I’m honest, I slipped out just now to… um, consult my sex guru,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Your whom?” Hades breathed as her little hand inched up his leg; Persephone had to giggle at the utter confusion on his face. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Eros has been helping me understand some things that my mother’s sex education left out,” She shrugged, missing his sharp inhale. </em>Easy, <em>he chastened himself, </em>don’t go all possessive idiot on the girl. She might not mean… <em>“He gave me a few pointers. But he said I should ask you to, um, touch yourself for me, if… if you don’t mind?” She tucked her hair behind her ear, looking up at him through her lashes. “He said the best way to learn how to please you is to see how you please yourself,” She blushed, tugging gently on his belt loop. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Oh, um,” Hades flushed, </em>Good Gaia, she wants to see how I pleasure myself, <em>“O-okay,” He almost whimpered as her hot little hands shimmied his trousers down his thighs. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Hey, whatever you’re comfortable with,” She echoed him, quirking her lips up into a gentle, teasing grin. “If you don’t want to…” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I want to, my little flower,” He ground out, helping her pull his trousers down his legs and then kicking them off when they reached his ankles. Persephone’s breathing stuttered, taking in his long, muscular legs, criss-crossed with silvery scars, building to an apex of bulging black cotton. “I’m just a little… uh… self-conscious,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You are so beautiful,” She said reverently, sliding her hand down his leg. “Can you take off your shirt? I’ve, um, never seen a man naked before and I’d… I’ve wanted to see you naked for a very long time,” She slapped a hand over her mouth, groaning at the undesired candidness. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>He flashed a rakish grin, though she could still see the vulnerability lingering in the back of his confident gaze, “Is that so, little flower?” He steeled himself for a moment before beginning to unbutton his shirt with shaking fingers. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“You,” He caught her by the waist, materialising in front of her as she scrambled out of the car, “are a little <em>minx,” </em>he groaned, kissing her gently and closing her door.</p><p> </p><p>“So, you don’t want to spank me?” She feigned confusion, fluttering her eyelashes. He swallowed hard, pressing her against the cool exterior of his car.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, little goddess,” He hummed, looking around briefly before sliding his hand up her throat, “There is no end to the list of things I want to <em>do </em>to you,” He kissed her jaw softly, “But, first, we have therapy!” He chirped, entangling their fingers as he tugged her towards the building.</p><p> </p><p>She pouted, “I guess I’m just not as distracting as I thought,” she grumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, little flower,” he rubbed the pad of his large thumb against her knuckes, the simple pressure making her shiver, “you are ridiculously distracting. I’ve never had to go into my therapy session with a…” he lowered his voice, “… throbbing erection,”. It was her turn to swallow hard.</p><p>They walked into the building in hot, tense silence, wishing simultaneously to be behind a locked door with no clothes on.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, y’know what I just noticed?” Persephone said cheerfully, trying to turn the topic away from sex before she soaked through her panties.</p><p> </p><p>“What, my little goddess?” He smiled indulgently, pressing the elevator button.</p><p> </p><p>“This is the first time we’ve been out in public as a couple,” Oh, how his heart thudded at her easy confirmation of their status. She held up their joined hands. “We’re showing <em>everybody. </em>A paparazzo could take a pic right now and it’d be all “King of the Underworld and nameless flower girl cosy up”,” She laughed edgily, trying to hide the sting.</p><p> </p><p>“I think,” Hades murmured, as they waited for the ding, “It would say “Old man death seen punching well above his weight”?”</p><p> </p><p>She giggled, firmly grabbing his hand once they were both through the elevator door. “You don’t mind, do you?” She asked, blushing. “We never really talked about it. What we are… um, what we tell people?” </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I suppose it’s a bit too intense to lead every introduction with “this is Persephone, my everything”,” He palmed his forehead, “Just when you forget about this truth spell stuff…” He groaned ruefully.</p><p> </p><p>“This is Hades, my…” She tried to say something playful but choked on the serious words that bubbled up, “boyfriend?”</p><p> </p><p>He blushed, surprised at how the small word, a word he’d often haughtily felt was juvenile, felt he was above… <em>Minthe is </em>not<em> my girlfriend. I’m not her boyfriend, </em>he’d scoffed to his brothers, <em>it’s… complicated</em>. This wasn’t complicated, it wasn’t difficult, and that simple word, the gentle affirmation, nearly brought him to his knees.</p><p> </p><p>“Dear gods, yes,” He huffed, voice choked with emotion.</p><p> </p><p>“So…” She hummed, enjoying his reaction, as they stepped into the elevator. “That would make me… your girlfriend?” She smiled as he swallowed and closed his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“That…” He said softly, squeezing her hand, “sounds incredible,”</p><p> </p><p>She nodded, literally floating a few inches off of the ground in pure elation, “I really like it too,”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,”</p><p> </p><p>Their sickening googly eyes were interrupted by the ding of the elevator.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I remind you that you don’t have to do this,” Hades squeezed her hand, “We can wait until you’re ready,”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll never be ready, Aidoneus,” She smiled sadly at him, “but I can’t stand feeling this way. I have to try. Coming?” She tugged his hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Anywhere you lead, sweetness,” He said, waggling his eyebrows to make her giggle, following her out of the elevator.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh, Aidoneus,” she whispered. He had left his shirt unbuttoned, his trembling hands falling to his lap; he couldn’t bring himself to remove it fully. “Thank you, my king, Thank you. You’re so beautiful,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>He bit off a sour laugh, his voice came out tinny and foreign and strained, “You don’t have to say that,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Truth serum, remember?” She frowned, touching his hand. He jerked away but she caught him. “Don’t hide from me, please. I just want to see you,”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>Her tender, vulnerable tone snapped him out of it. This wasn’t the hateful trading of barbs and pleasure he’d known in his relationships before. She wasn’t trying to win points or leverage his vulnerability. She was trying to </em>see<em> him.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m sorry,” He continued to hang his head, but flicked his eyes up to look at her as he squeezed her hand. “I’m just…” he swallowed, “I’m just scared,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“I know,” She leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his, “but it’s just me, and I just want to see you. I want to touch your skin. I want to see and touch and, um…</em>kiss<em> every part of you,” She flushed and he shivered, his hands sliding up her forearms. “I just want to know you, Aidoneus. I also find you ridiculously attractive, if you hadn’t noticed,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>He laughed, reaching up to cup her face. “Be serious, little goddess,” He rolled his eyes. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>She slid her hand into his hair, tightening her fist. “Why won’t you believe that I </em>am <em>serious?” She hissed. He grunted, his mouth going dry at her authority. “I want to be close to you, intimate with you, I don’t want us to have any secrets but, also, on the very basest, most simple level,” She pulled his head back, “you’re hot,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>He scoffed and she tugged his hair again, pulling his head back and kissing his neck. Oh, he enjoyed bossy little Kore. This was something he liked, he knew that, but he couldn’t begin to fathom how much he liked it when </em>she <em>did it. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t argue with me,” She hummed against his collarbone, nipping at his tender flesh, “As much as our relationship… our connection,” She faltered uncertainly but regained her dominant footing pretty quickly, “is emotional, is based on care and trust and affection, it is also based on my inability to hide that I have the hots for the king,” She smiled at his submissive silence, baring her teeth against the juncture of his neck and shoulder, making him shiver. “Do you believe me now?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes, my queen,” He hummed, hesitantly, cursing himself as she froze in his arms. “Persephone, I’m-” She knocked the words out of his mouth with a breath-taking kiss, pushing him urgently back against the bed as she straddled his hips, her bare chest brushing the parts of him that were exposed. He wanted to feel her soft, yielding breasts pressed against the hard, cut lines of his chest. He wanted no barrier between them, insecurities be damned. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“My queen,” He asked softly between hot, frenzied kisses, “please may I remove the rest of my clothing?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>She grinned in triumph, shifting from a pretty intoxicating and utterly surprising Dom-Kore into just her beautiful, sweet self again, pressing a tender kiss to his lips. “Sorry if I went too far,” She bit her lip, “I just wanted you to stop doubting me and then… it just happened,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“It was glorious, my Persephone,” He smiled, touching her hair, </em>what a queen she was, what a queen she would be, <em>“but I adore any and all parts of you, whatever you are willing to share,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Let’s just be us, for now,” She grinned, sliding back onto his thighs so that he could sit up, helping him remove his shirt, “Oh, Aidoneus, how could you have denied me this?” She breathed as he settled back on to the bed. She ran her hands reverently over his broad shoulders and large, strong arms. She traced the sensitive (she discovered), silvery scars that branched over his skin like blooming, crackling lightening. He gasped and hummed as her fingers followed the grooves of his topography, her eyes full of unmistakable </em>awe.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“You don’t…” He swallowed, “You don’t, uh…?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You’re so beautiful,” She leaned forward to kiss his chest, following the line of one of his scars with her tongue as he bucked off of the bed. She followed her path all the way to the waistband of his underwear, slithering off his lap. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Kore, you don’t-” the words died in his throat as her little mouth continued to move, pressing warm, open-mouthed kisses to his length through the fabric of his underwear. “Oh, fuck. Fuuuuck…” He groaned. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Do you want me to stop?” She teased, tracing his outline with her finger. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Do…uh, only do… what you… um, want,” He huffed out, fisting his hands into the bedsheet beneath him. “Gods, Kore, where did you learn this?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Eros suggested a few things to make you crazy,” She palmed him, swiping her thumb over the growing wet spot near the head of his cock, “speaking of, would you show me?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>He looked up at her in dazed confusion, before it hit him. “Is that what you want?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“I want to know how to please you,” She knelt on the floor in front of him, palms on knees and her beautiful curves spilling out of his shirt, like all of his embarrassingly adolescent wet dreams since he’d met her come to life. She bit her lip, looking earnestly up at him, so eager to learn… to be a good little student… </em>fuck. <em>“Please, my king, would you show me?” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Wordlessly, for he had no coherent words left to offer, he slid his underwear down his thighs. Kore sprang forward, eager little student, and helped him pull them off before settling back to watch. She gasped softly at the size of him, of how his firm, swollen length fell against his stomach. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh, gods,” She whispered. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You’ve seen a man naked now, Persephone,” He hummed, reaching down to grasp his length with a soft oath, “do you like what you see?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes,” She breathed, her core growing slick, her fingers clawing at her thighs. “Please, your majesty, please show me,” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>He gripped himself firmly, groaning softly at the friction. </em>Finally. <em>His cock had been screaming out for friction since about fifteen minutes after his last wank, and that was a generous estimate. He felt like a walking hormone around her, she was so beautiful and pink and rounded with gorgeous curves he just wanted to hold on to for dear life while he…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Fuck,” he groaned, “Gods, I…” He tailed off, fighting to keep his eyes open so he could look at her. She was so goddamn sexy, kneeling in front of him, biting her lip, her plump thighs and pert, round behind peeking out under the hem of his shirt, her beautiful breasts peeking between the buttons of </em>his <em>shirt, long tendrils of hair growing rapidly from her crown as she watched him.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>He imagined her kneeling like that for him, naked, taking his length into her hot, wet little mouth so eagerly, so keen to please. He imagined closing his fist around that hot pink hair, moving her faster and faster as she choked on his cock. Fantasy-Persephone loved choking on him, feeling him take his pleasure from her as he fucked her mouth, almost as much as she liked tying him down and blowing him at her own pace as he whined with need. He wondered how real Persephone felt about this kind of filthy, illicit behaviour and realised, with a thrill, that he could ask her, if he wanted. That she was there, kneeling in front of him, wetness shining on her inner thighs as she watched him fuck his hand. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“What are you thinking about?” She whispered, reverently, leaning up on her knees to get a better look. She braced her little hands on the straining muscles of his thighs and his hips bucked at her touch.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Fuck, little goddess,” He huffed, rubbing his thumb over his weeping tip, “I was just, uh… thinking about… you,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Good,” She stroked his thighs, flushing with pride. </em>She <em>was what made him feel like this, just the thought of her had brought this gorgeous God pleasure. “What, specifically?” She asked, with a devilish twinkle in her eye, “And remember, my king, I will know if you lie to me,” She echoed his words from earlier, when he was between her thighs doing unspeakable things to her. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Little flower…” He groaned, but he couldn’t help it, “you, on your knees, wearing nothing but my shirt, it just… it got me thinking about you, on your knees, in… nothing,” They both swallowed, hard, “With your mouth… o-on me,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Like this?” She asked with a devilish grin, leaning up over him to kiss his mouth softly. The heat of her, the feel of her lips, and the pressure of her soft little belly on the hand around his cock made him shudder. He was embarrassingly close. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“N-no, little goddess,” He panted. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“No?” She hummed in mock confusion. “Like this?” She asked, kissing down the hard, warm plane of his pectoral and swiping her tongue over his nipple. He bucked off the bed and groaned. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Noooo,” He moaned. She was leaning over him just so, and her breasts were hanging heavily over his stomach, dangerously close to spilling out of the shirt altogether. He wanted to rip it off. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh!” She whispered, “Like this?” She slithered down to kiss below his belly button. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Fuck, Persephone, I’m so… I’m close,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Hmm, not that either?” She kissed his hipbone and the crease of each inner thigh, making him pant and moan desperately. “Still not it!” She huffed in mock frustration. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Please, Persephone, I-”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh!” She bounced a little in excitement, making her breasts bounce too; he was hanging on by a thread. “Like this?” And she leaned forward as his hand squeezed his base to place a tentative, open-mouthed kiss on his cock. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“FUCK!” He roared, his vision stuttering to white as he came, the tender, wet suction of her mouth on his tip making him shudder uncontrollably. “Oh, Persephone, fuck, that was… wow,” He managed when he could figure out how to connect brain to mouth. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>He slowly blinked his pleasure-addled eyes open and looked at her. She was rumpled and dishevelled, her hair a tangled mess from where he’d held her down on his cock as he came. “Oh, my Kore, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>She scowled, and held up a finger, bounding off to his bathroom to spit out the bitter liquid in her mouth. He put his head in her hands. </em>The first time she sees a man naked, and you shoot your load in her mouth, <em>he berated herself, </em>too fast, old man, too soon.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“That tastes just as gross as Eros said it would,” She bounded back into the room, a streak of toothpaste dissolving on her tongue as she grimaced. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Persephone, I’m so sorry,” He took her hand as she approached the bed, still lying boneless across it, “we should have talked about it first. I should have warned you. I’m sorry, I didn’t want…” He sighed, trying to clarify as her brow furrowed, “I wanted </em>that<em> and my gods did it feel good, but I’m sorry if I took it too far,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>There was a moment of silence. She clambered into bed beside him and lay on her side, watching his face. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“It felt good, huh?” She said with a wicked grin. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Tartarus, little goddess,” He hummed, running his thumb over her lips, “It felt incredible. Thank you,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“That’s what I wanted,” She nuzzled into his side, “I just wanted to see how you made yourself feel good, and if I could maybe… help,” She slung her leg over his thigh, and he reached down to touch her calf, marvelling at her soft, bare skin, marvelling that he was able to touch her like this. She nudged his arm up with her forehead, like an insistent fuschia cat, and he obliged, lifting his arm so she could snuggle on his chest. “I would’ve made a miserable eternal maiden,” She sighed, snuggling closer to him. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Why do you say that, my love?” He asked softly, tightening his arm around her and kissing her forehead. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Um…” He could hear the telltale scoffing, sputtering sounds of a truth spell being resisted, “Ireallylikeyourpenis,” She buried her head in his chest as he began to laugh, “Oh, gods, you know what I mean. I really… it was so good. You made me feel so good and then… bringing you pleasure, too… that was just amazing…” She mumbled, incoherently. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Little goddess,” He leaned back to look at her, “I felt it too. Your pleasure is my pleasure, and vice versa. I fully intend to have you trembling on my tongue again before the day is through, my love, and I will enjoy every second of your pleasure,” He kissed her mouth softly, “I just can’t believe this is real. That I get to touch you, to kiss you, that you </em>want <em>me,” His awe turned to embarrassment, </em>don’t give her the upper hand… <em>the toxic voice in his mind screamed. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“I can’t believe it’s real either,” She mumbled softly, trading his admission, his moment of weakness, for her own. </em>See, <em>another voice reprimanded, </em>this is how it should be. Who needs the upper hand when you have… this?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Gods, I wish I could stay here with you all day,” He huffed the beautiful scent of her, floral with a hint of sweat, a confirmation of the beautiful exertion they’d just shared. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Can’t you?” She tried her best not to sound desperate. “I don’t have college today, and you’re the boss, can’t you play hookie?” She ran her little foot over his thigh, making him shiver. </em>You literally just orgasmed! Down, boy.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I called in already,” He kissed her temple, “but I have something… else, this afternoon, and I try not to cancel it because if I open the floodgates I’ll just… never go again,” He shrugged sheepishly. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“What is this mysterious important yet horrifying thing?” She chuckled softly, confused and a bit disappointed. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Umm…” He gagged a little, trying to keep it in. “Uh, therapy, actually,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Oooh,” She snuggled a fraction closer, “Cool, though I can see why you might worry about cancelling,” She carefully avoided his gaze, tracing lazy shapes on his abdomen. Gods, he was still naked, and he hadn’t even worried about his scars or felt exposed since… the power of this gorgeous girl and a mind-blowing orgasm. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You ever been, my love?” He asked gently, knowing from many screaming matches with his brother and Hera that therapy was not often something you could force someone in to, no matter how obviously they needed it. She would find help when she was ready and he would respect her autonomy, always. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Uh, Eros said I should… after he found out about…” She swallowed thickly and he pulled her closer to his side, wishing to be closer to her than their physical forms would allow. </em>Except… <em>he felt his mind give a filthy tug towards illicit thoughts, </em>not now! Gods, get a grip. “<em>and I think I definitely have some, uh, mommy issues to sort out. It’s just hard to take that step. I don’t even know where to start looking for a… uh, therapist, and I don’t want everyone talking about it,” She grumbled, “Not that it’s shameful!” She backtracked hurriedly, “just that, you know, Ap… </em>he <em>is a big name around here, and I don’t know if I’m ready to press charges or anything, I just want it to be </em>my <em>choice when people hear my story, you know?” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Of course, my love,” He kissed her forehead. </em>I’ll never get enough of this. <em>“I could… my therapist is incredibly discreet and she’s part of a practice of a few other excellent doctors. I could call her, see if she could recommend anyone?” He turned on his side to face her, “We can get them to sign a non-disclosure agreement before you say anything. They’re great people but they know that if they leaked anything about me or…” </em>my queen! <em>“…a close personal friend of their king, there would be hell to pay. Literally,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“That,” She scooted forward to kiss him, “Sounds awful, in a really great, cathartic way. Let’s do it,” </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Your comments sustain me!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Sanctuary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things get very sweet and then very dicey. Someone finds Persephone in Hades's bed. No violence or anything, just some reference to trauma discussed in therapy which I have put in asterisks.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hecate, call me back when you can,” Hades practically sang into his phone, balancing it between his chin and shoulder as he prepped the vegetables for dinner. “It’s not as… urgent now,” He glanced up, his heart melting as he watched Persephone. “Not at all. Just… get back to me,”</p><p> </p><p>She had her newly cropped hair piled on top of her head and secured with a pencil. She was wearing one of his softest sweaters, the cosy wool swamping her tiny frame. She had a stack of books beside her and a huge one opened in front of her, entitled <em>Custodians of the Earth: Mortal Horticulture and Husbandry, </em>on which she was scribbling quick notes, her eyes screwed up slightly with interest and concentration, a pair of little pomegranate pink headphones he’d snagged for her months ago but never found the courage to give her. A few of the pups were asleep at her feet, where they dangled adorably from his kitchen chair, her little, fluffy socks not quite reaching the ground.</p><p> </p><p>The kettle whistled, and the dog’s looked up in interest but Persephone was utterly oblivious. He smiled softly, tearing his gaze away from her to make her tea. He sidled up behind her, setting the steaming mug in front of her and using the proximity as an excuse to kiss the side of her head. She nuzzled into him, reaching up to pop out an earbud, as he began to genty rub her shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop being distracting, please,” She hummed with no malice, reaching up to touch his hand on her shoulder. “How’s a girl supposed to study?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmmm,” he pressed firmly against just the right spot on her back, making her moan softly and stretch. “I’m just making sure my good little student has everything she needs,”</p><p> </p><p>She bit her lip, toying with an idea she’d enjoyed privately before. <em>Can’t hurt, can it? </em>“I can’t help but notice that you don’t pay any of the other students this kind of attention, sir,”</p><p> </p><p>He groaned softly. “I didn’t mean to disrupt your studies, little goddess,” He whispered, “but if you keep this up, I won’t be able to keep my hands off of you,”</p><p> </p><p>She checked her phone, swiping away a few dozen messages from Eros and Artemis. He went to ask about the messages, but she held up a hand. “Later, please,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades felt uneasy about leaving the topic that so obviously hurt her terribly, but he wasn’t going to push. He’d said nothing when Eros arrived with a whole suitcase full of her stuff, and a backpack crammed with school supplies. <em>Who am I kidding? </em>He thought, <em>I was ready to hire a moving van the first time she kissed me. </em>He hadn’t asked about her therapy session, although he was burning to know how it went and how she felt. He’d taken her for lunch and they’d flirted and held hands across the table and her little foot had slipped out of her shoe and teased its way up his leg, and it had been easy to let her forget for a while. It only didn’t feel like a lie, or make him throw up, because… he didn’t know how to ask her to let him in.  </p><p>
  
</p><p>“Kore, I’m sorry, can I just… one question, my love, and then I will leave it utterly to you,” He stroked her hair softly, pressing the hard lines of his body against her back, “Where does she think you are?”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone bit her lip but leaned into his5 touch, “Staying with Eros,” She said softly, “She’s not happy about it… she knows he’s a fertility god so she’s never really trusted <em>him</em>, ironically,” She said bitterly, pulling down the sleeves of his sweater to cover her hands as she tugged nervously, thinking about who her friend trusted absolutely. “but she also knows he’s a decent person and my friend, so she’s letting it go for now. I just needed some time,”</p><p> </p><p>He kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “Okay, my love,” He murmured soothingly, holding her close. Her hands reached up to grip his forearm, like it was a piece of driftwood after shipwreck. “Now, shall I stop distracting you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think I am due a break,” She kissed the wrist wrapped beneath her chin, “Have tea with me,” She asked sweetly, and who was he to deny her?</p><p> </p><p>He poured himself a strong, black coffee instead, of course, but he felt like it was the pleasant company at the kitchen table that she wanted so he decided not to be too literal. They sat across from each other, hands loosely tangled in the small channel they’d made between Persephone’s books, in a comfortable silence.</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone,” Hades asked for a little while, “I don’t want to ask you directly because the truth serum will… take the choice out of your hands, but I wondered if you wanted to… um, talk, at all, about your therapy session,”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” She looked down at her tea.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t know how to do this. How do you beg the radiant woman you’re in love with to open up to you, without betraying her autonomy and pressuring her? He palmed his forehead a little.</p><p> </p><p>“Little flower, what you discuss with your therapist is <em>totally </em>private,” He squeezed her hand softly, “I only mean, how did you find it? Would you like to go again? Any comments, questions, concerns? Did you happen,” He ducked his head, trying to win a smile from her, “To mention a certain grumpy blue king who is enamoured with you?” <em>Bingo. </em>She blushed a little and looked up at him, smiling a small, sweet smile.</p><p> </p><p>“It was…” She hummed, pushing her mug in slow circles with her finger on the handle. “I don’t know. It felt good to talk about it but I got this… sick feeling, right after,”</p><p> </p><p>“Very common, my darling,” He squeezed her hand again. She couldn’t help but smile again; she would never have pegged the king of the underworld for such a lover of pet names. “You feel like you’ve said too much and you feel this cold wash of regret?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah!” She smiled a little at him, ruefully, glad to have someone who understood. “And it was really hard to talk about the… you know. She gave me a whole bunch of pamphlets about dealing with it and what to do if I decide to press charges,” Persephone held his hand between both of hers, grateful for his grounding warmth. “But she also said that my healing process isn’t contingent on telling anyone, or whatever. What he did to me is the truth, whether the world hears about it or not,” She said firmly, looking in his eyes. Her fierce, determined look made his heart flutter.</p><p> </p><p>“I would give anything to have protected you from that,” He whispered softly. “N-not that you need <em>protecting, </em>only that-”</p><p> </p><p>“Aidoneus,” She stopped him, “I know what you mean. Thank you. But I need you to know, you’re protecting me now. I’ve never felt so safe. I haven’t slept as well as I did in your arms since I was in the Mortal Realm,” She lifted his hand to her lips, and he could have cried at the gentle, reverent way she touched him. “Thank you for being my sanctuary,”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you for being mine,” He whispered, emotion choking his voice. “Whenever you are ready, my love, I will ensure you get your revenge, if that is what you want. I’d…” He clenched his jaw, trying to keep himself under control. “I’d tear him apart with my bare hands if you asked me to,”</p><p> </p><p>His head was bowed, his hands palm up and supplicant, and she felt <em>worshipped. </em>She would do the same for him, she realised, gentle as her nature was, she was capable of wrath, they both knew it, and she would extend that wrath without mercy to anyone who wronged him. She would stand at his side, a Dread Queen, his equal, protecting as she was protected, loving as she was loved.  </p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” She said softly, tears brimming in her eyes, “This is it, isn’t it? This is what it’s supposed to be like? I would protect you with everything I have and you…”</p><p> </p><p>His heart thudded at her words, “I would do anything to protect you, my love,”</p><p> </p><p>“The protection I have known in my life, though,” She shook her head, “was about control. My mother… she protects by suffocation. Freedom was dangerous and therefore unacceptable,” She felt one of the tears brimming in her lower lashes drop and slide down her cheek. “You… this, this is how it should be. This is what love is. Keeping me safe means nothing if you stifle me and so you just guard my back while I fight, fight by my side when I ask,” She laughed, giddy and crying as she looked up, his eyes were glittering with unshed tears. “Tend to my wounds after, when we’re home,”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, always,” He said firmly, “Always, my queen, you have my word, my love will mean freedom and protection at once,” He stood, crossing the room to kneel beside her chair, his hands on her soft thighs as he looked into her eyes. “You are a force of nature, my flower, I would never want to stand in your way, nor would I <em>dare,</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” She touched his face, pressing a kiss to his noble brow, “I love you, Aidoneus,”</p><p> </p><p>He was crying now, in earnest.  He held her hands in her lap as they pressed their foreheads together. “Oh, my Persephone,” He whispered, reverent, once more worshipful, “I cannot understand why you have chosen such an unworthy vessel for your love. I     cannot understand why you would choose my dark, cold home as your sanctuary. But as long as I live, I will strive to be worthy of this, I swear, I will do all I can to be what you deserve,” He kissed her hands, his tears falling into her lap.</p><p> </p><p>She put her hands on his face, tilting his handsome features until they were tear-stained eye to tear-stained eye. “Don’t you <em>dare </em>question my judgement,” she said sternly, “I would not love you if you were unworthy of my love. I know myself and my desires, do you think I am <em>wrong </em>for loving you? That I am naïve or stupid?”</p><p> </p><p>“N-no, my queen,” Both of their eyes were swollen and puffy, they were holding each other for dear life.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think I would deign to love a man who was not what I deserved?” She asked, trying to be stern, queenly, even as her lip trembled and tears streamed down her cheeks. “Why do I feel more at home in this realm than anywhere else I have ever been, and so much more at peace in your house than any other place? Why do you insist on denying what is plain, what is <em>right </em>in front of you?”</p><p> </p><p>She pressed their foreheads together, kissing him softly. She tasted the salt of his tears and her own as their kisses became more frantic, more passionate. She wrapped her arms around his neck and knotted her fingers possessively in his hair. He lifted her bodily from her seat, carrying her like a bride through his house and to the room he had come to consider <em>their </em>bedroom in less than 48 hours. He laughed against her lips, giddy and electric.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you laughing at, love?” She asked softly between kisses, loving his strong arms around her, loving being carried as if she weighed nothing.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s like I designed this,” He smiled, “Not even, where would I find the skill to imagine such a thing? It’s like the Fates snuck into my wildest dreams and wove them around the strand of my life,” He kicked open the door to their bedroom and laid her gently down upon his sheets. “I don’t question your judgement or your love, only the magnitude of my good fortune,” Drying tears glazed his cheeks as he climbed on to the bed beside her.</p><p>She crawled automatically to his side, flinging one leg over his and one arm across his stomach. She nestled her head under his chin and hummed contentedly as he tucked his arm around her.</p><p> </p><p>“Here I was thinking you wanted to have your wicked way with me, O Dark King,” She smiled, tracing a heart on the fabric of his shirt. “When all the while the Unseen one just wanted to <em>snuggle.”</em></p><p> </p><p>“Minx,” He kissed her hair, “You will singlehandedly ruin my reputation at this rate,” He nuzzled her, “But I wouldn’t be so sure that my intentions are innocent,” He ran his hand up her thigh, making her gasp.</p><p> </p><p>“I hope I get to lie like this with you every day of my existence,” She said softly, slapping a hand over her mouth, “Godsdamned truth spell,” She smiled ruefully.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” He rolled over, his heart thudding hard at the implications of what she’d said; <em>every day of my existence… oh, little goddess, me too…</em> He brought them face to face and hiked her leg up over his hip. “I’m quite grateful for it. We wouldn’t have gotten here for a very long time, if ever, without it,”</p><p> </p><p>“Me too,” She kissed him softly, “How was your therapy session <em>under the influence? </em>I found it way easier to be honest, but it also made the regret <em>so</em> intense,”</p><p> </p><p>He grimaced, “For me too,” she ran her hand up his bicep, marvelling as always at the size and strength. “I talked about you a lot, though,”</p><p> </p><p>“Tell me everything,” She waggled her eyebrows.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, Solace has heard <em>a lot </em>about you over the past few sessions,” He smiled ruefully, “I think she was rooting for us,”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, she was,” Persephone grinned, “we’re a couple of crazy kids, trying to figure this love thing out,”</p><p> </p><p>“I would hardly call my millenia-old ass a “kid”, but I am certainly trying to work this love thing out,” He smiled at her, “Gods, you’re beautiful. Anyway, that’s what we talked about. Solace was surprised to hear I’d said it so early,” He said sheepishly.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, you should wait at least one more day like a normal person,” She teased softly, “Do you feel it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Fates, yes,”</p><p> </p><p>“Then that’s all that matters,”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what Solace said,” He smiled at her, looking sweet and rakish and infinitely jump-able. She bit her lip, a decision settling into place in her head. “I spoke to her about our… intimate and private…stuff,” he touched her hip, “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think, I should have talked to you first,”</p><p> </p><p>“You trust Solace?”</p><p> </p><p>“Absolutely!”</p><p> </p><p>“Then so do I,” She covered the hand on her hip with her own. “Talk about what you need to talk about, I trust you. I’m just curious about what you said?”</p><p> </p><p>**************************** Content Warning: Trauma ***********************************</p><p>“Uh, well, since she thought I’d jumped the gun emotionally I was concerned that I’d also rushed things emotionally. Our first… sexual experience became much more about kinky stuff than I thought was normal and I was scared I’d rushed it,”</p><p> </p><p>“What did she say?” Persephone wrinkled her brow, cringing at the thought that the beautiful things they’d done together were somehow wrong or premature.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, she knows about… what happened to you,” He whispered, lifting her hand to his lips, “And she suggested I speak to you about it, but she suggested it might be… it <em>could </em>be that you’re using it as a way to rebuild your trust. You’re giving me all of this power and you’re proving to yourself that you can trust me, that I will stop instantly if you say the word or you seem… off in any way,” He brushed her hair back from her face, “I don’t know. It made me sad to think about that, but also… hopeful? I’m glad that you’re growing to trust me… sexually as much as you seem to otherwise,”</p><p> </p><p>“That makes a lot of sense,” Persephone hummed thoughtfully, “I never thought about it like that. But, yeah, it makes sense,” Her lip trembled, “I hate that I have to learn to trust you. I hate that this was taken away from me,”</p><p> </p><p>“My love, you would have to learn to trust me anyway,” He reassured softly, “We’re getting to know each other’s bodies. That’s a process, it’s going to take time,”</p><p>**************************** Content Warning: Trauma ***********************************</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She smiled as he brushed the tears from her cheeks, <em>enough sadness in my bed with the man I love, </em>“Speaking of, I think you have some homework to do,” She flicked her eyes down, blushing even as she tried to be seductive.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m always keen to learn and improve,” He smiled rakishly down at her, his hand sliding up her tiny, pleather skirt. “This skirt has been driving me mad all day,”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, I don’t want it to bother you,” She said playfully, “Why don’t you take it off?”</p><p> </p><p>***********************</p><p> </p><p>Persephone looked so beautiful, spent and sweaty and tangled in <em>his </em>sheets. He couldn’t believe his luck, to have this beautiful, wild creature lying naked beside him, her pink hair a chaotic cloud around her head. She looked so thoroughly <em>fucked, </em>he couldn’t imagine what she would look like if he ever actually had the chance to be inside of her…</p><p> </p><p>They had brought each other pleasure languidly and indulgently, touching and kissing and exploring, slow and electric. He’d made her cum multiple times, he was proud to say, and they had both collapsed, spent against his pillows.</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone,” He whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“Mmmmm,” She groaned, stretching a small, bare arm into the air, the covers slipping down her plump, round breasts.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, love,” He chuckled, “Hecate wants to meet me, she has the antidote, I hope,” He brushed her hair back from her face, “I’ll leave you a note for when you wake up, I’ll be back soon,” He leaned forward to kiss her forehead, “I love you,”</p><p> </p><p>“Love ooo,” She smiled in her sleep, rolling over to clutch his pillow and bury her face in it.</p><p> </p><p>His heart fluttered and it took all of his strength to leave her, tacking a quick P.S. to his note asking her on a date later. He would be back with her soon, and they could brainstorm a new cuisine to introduce her to and a movie to watch while they snuggled on his couch. His heart thudded at the thought, wanting more than anything for all of his days to end like this.</p><p> </p><p>Hades was not who woke her from her warm, deep sleep though. She rolled, naked and comfortable, on to her side, still clutching Hades’s pillow, and sluggishly opened her eyes. They widened, and she scrambled to sit up, holding the sheet over her bare body.</p><p> </p><p>“Mama!?” She cried, looking desperately for the nearest piece of clothing.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Kore-cob,” Demeter said, tears brimming in her eyes, “I will kill him for this. What kind of dark magic has he used to ensnare you? I will have his head,”</p><p> </p><p>“Mama, no, it’s not-” Persephone tried, but before she could blink she was transported at sickening speed, coming to feeling woozy and warm on a tiled floor. “Wha-”</p><p> </p><p>Her mother stood behind the glass of the greenhouse, watching her daughter pick herself up, wearing the most modest himation Demeter could summon. “I’m sorry Kore-cob,” She pressed her hand to the sun-warmed glass, “We will fix this,”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Gin and Hothouse Flowers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hecate opened her front door, arching an eyebrow and fighting a grin. Hades looked younger, brighter, and, she noted with slight alarm, he seemed relaxed. His shoulders were loose, he was wearing a white shirt rolled up to the elbows and <em>no </em>jacket. Dear gods, was he slouching a little?</p><p> </p><p>“Hades! Come in, come in,” She said brightly, wondering at the small, contented smile on his face. “If that is really you…”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p> </p><p>“You just seem, uh, more…” She gestured vaguely at him as they walked to her living room, “Chipper than I’ve ever seen you. I thought you’d been through an ordeal, forgive me if I’m surprised,” She gestured towards the sofa, “drink?”</p><p> </p><p>“Please,” He said, <em>blushing, </em>Hecate shook her head, hiding her grin as she turned to pour his drink. The king is <em>blushing. I hope that means I was right</em>…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I bet!” The Queen of the Gods announced, waving her tall, fruity cocktail around to punctuate her point, “That he’ll accidentally propose before the weekend is through, that’s my bet,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Woah there, your Majesty,” Hecate giggled, a drunk who gave the illusion of being more sober than she was until she absolutely couldn’t stand. “I’ll take that bet. He’s too nervous, he’ll throw up for two days straight before he asks for her hand,” She tapped the table-top, “but he will tell her he loves her,” Hecate hiccupped softly, “You just think too much of yourself, O Goddess of Marriage,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Hera rolled her eyes, “You’ve seen the way he looks at her,” She gestured to the pale blue nymph behind the counter with her empty glass, he looked helplessly at Hecate who shrugged at him. He defeatedly began pouring the syrup and booze, “Extra pineapple!” The queen demanded, “I wish someone would look at me the way he looks at her. He’s enamoured. He just doesn’t… notice anyone else!” She said with a voice full of pain and wonder, taking the glass greedily from the bartender. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh, Hera,” Hecate sighed, brushing her golden hair back sadly with her open palm. “Your husband is trash,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Hera looked at her sharply, holding her gaze sternly for a second, before collapsing into giggles, “He IS trash,” Hera giggled, “He is the TRASH KING,” they both laughed hysterically, leaning over the bar top towards each other. The blue nymph raised his eyebrows and whistled softly under his breath, moving down the bar to clean the polished wood as far from them as possible. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“So, how’s the truth serum treating you?” Hecate shook herself out of her reverie, turning to hand him his drink.</p><p> </p><p>“Uhhhh…” He took the drink, clenching his jaw, “gooood,”</p><p> </p><p>“Goooood, huh?” Hecate grinned, sitting down on the sofa beside him.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, ahem,” He coughed into his hand, “Like, okay, like good, yeah,” He seemed to be fighting an enormous grin, but his eyes were puzzlingly panicked.</p><p> </p><p>“Hades, you know that I know you’re on truth serum, right?” She crossed one arm over her body, holding her drink in the other, and arched an eyebrow, as if to say <em>who do you think you’re fooling?</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Hades let out a long, harsh breath, like a deflating balloon, finally allowing himself to smile, “She loves me,” He said softly, his voice breaking in the middle with emotion. “She told me, today, she said the words,”</p><p> </p><p>“We are talking about Persephone, yes?” Hecate asked, chuckling at Hades’s aghast look; <em>who else could it possibly be? </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Yes,” He sighed contentedly, unable to fight the huge grin from reasserting itself on his face, “She wants to be mine, Hecate, can you believe it?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think you’re one of very few who didn’t realise the girl was enamoured with you,” Hecate laughed, “and you… love her too, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“With all my soul,” He said seriously, “I’ve never felt this way about anyone else. I’ve loved her as long as I’ve known her, it’s just… to find out she feels the same way…” He shook his head in awe.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m happy for you, old friend,” She raised her glass in warm, genuine affection, before hardening her gaze a little, “I’m sure it goes without saying but, I’m fond of that girl, and if you hurt her in any way…” Hecate mimed slicing her throat, “King or not, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades chuckled, “That’s treasonous, old friend,” He took a sip of his drink, “but as it’s in the interest of the woman who will be my queen, I think it cancels itself out,”</p><p> </p><p>“So, you DID ask her!” came Hera’s triumphant cry from the door across the          room.</p><p> </p><p>“Bunny?” Hades spun around in confusion, “What are you doing here?” He looked searchingly between Hecate and Hera, who was wearing nothing but a grey terrycloth robe that did <em>not </em>seem like something she would buy herself.</p><p> </p><p>“Aidoneus, be a dear and pour me a drink,” Hera crossed the room and sat regally beside a blushing Hecate, “there’s cold gin in the mini freezer,” She crossed her long, golden legs and smiled expectantly at him.</p><p> </p><p>Hades blinked and then, seeing no other path, he stood and fixed Hera a gin and tonic. He sat down again, looking dumbfounded between his right-hand woman, and his oldest friend. Hera sighed, taking a long pull from her glass. “I can see that you’re not going to let this go,” Hera sighed, brushing a little fluff from her borrowed robe. “My husband is a serial philanderer and the biggest dickhead in the cosmos. I eventually gave up the faithful wife thing after my sixty-fifth crying nymph on my doorstep, telling me how he loved them, and I was standing in the way etc. etc. I imagine you know that I have had my own string of more discreet companions,”</p><p> </p><p>“I had my suspicions,” Hades shrugged, “I figured you were… entitled. But I’ve never had my suspicions confirmed so…um…” He gestured vaguely at them.</p><p> </p><p>“We occasionally have fun,” Hera shrugged, “This is the first time in a few decades, but, yes, it’s a thing. Can you be cool with that?” She looked him straight in the eye, “It doesn’t matter if you can’t, because we’re both grown women and you’re… not involved in any way, but we’re both your friends, and Hecate is your colleague, so it would be preferable if you could, um, find some chill. Can you do that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you kidding?” Hades said, seriously, crossing his arms, assuming the old-man-voice that always made Persephone laugh, “I’m the king of chill,”</p><p> </p><p>Both women laughed and Hades grinned. Hecate and Hera both seemed much more relaxed than he’d seen them in a while, and Hecate leaned ever so slightly back into Hera.  He was grateful that his friends had found some comfort in each other. Now that his surprise had faded, the underlying urge to be back with Persephone returned with a vengeance. He missed the comfort he recognised in his friend’s eyes, the intimacy and the obvious satisfaction.</p><p> </p><p>“Now that we’ve got your long term, casual, sexual relationship out in the open,” Hades shrugged, “And established, naturally, how utterly cool I am with it, could I get that antidote now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not so fast, Aidoneus,” Hera drained her glass, “First, freshen my drink,” again, Hades thought he ought to protest, but found himself pouring the gin again. When he was settled again, Hera smiled beatifically.</p><p>
  
</p><p>“So,” she said serenely, “tell us everything”</p><p>Hades rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to speak, when there was a frantic knock on the door.</p><p> </p><p>“Hecate, did you double book us?” Hera quirked an eyebrow, but Hecate shook her head in confusion, standing to answer it. There was a slight, muffled interaction and Hecate’s unintelligible voice rose angrily. 

Hera and Hades shared a concerned look, and Hades turned from the bar, where he was finally freshening his own drink, to go to his friend’s aid. He was almost hit by the door as it flew open, a red nymph barrelling into the room as a furious Hecate followed.</p><p> </p><p>“Minthe, what are you doing here?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, I was gonna wait til you came out but there isn’t time,” She was frantic, and she seemed like she’d been crying, “I did something bad,”</p><p> </p><p>************************************</p><p>Persephone walked the greenhouse in circles, looking for weaknesses in its construction. She was stronger now, more aware of the power her mother had tried to hide from her; she had unlocked a new part of herself in Olympus… in the Underworld, and she wasn’t going to give that up. She wasn’t going to give <em>him </em>up either.</p><p> </p><p>Her mother had obviously designed this place as a beautiful prison. It was a pentadecagon, a glass building with fifteen panels of green glass that cast long, emerald shadows on the paving. Each panel was entirely flush to the other, lined with dark green iron, leaving no room for a creeping vine or errant weed to grow in-between and ruin the integrity of the walls. The ceiling lifted itself into a vaulting dome, where a small octagonal window, slightly raised above the apex of the roof, allowed in the only fresh air, allowed the only tiny, thin, rectangular wedges of the sky. It took you a moment to believe there wasn’t a patio door leading out onto an open lawn, a moment to believe, with rising horror, that there was no way out. Persephone knew the place well. Every tantrum, every argument, had ended up in here. She hated this room as much as she could hate any room filled with organic life in every species and colour.</p><p> </p><p>The air was comfortable at first, damp and warm and fragrant. The earth around the central ‘X’ of paving stones in the centre of the greenhouse was dark with moisture and life, where dozens of colourful and exotic flowers that bloomed with ridiculous vitality.</p><p> </p><p>After a while, though, the warm, humid air became oppressive, became uncomfortable, like you couldn’t catch your breath. The cacophony of scents became overwhelming the longer you stayed, never abating, just layering on top of each other until you were desperate for a lungful of fresh air.</p><p>“You can’t keep me here, mama,” Persephone said softly, deliberately, knowing that Demeter was undoubtedly nearby, watching, listening, “You think that you can, but you can’t,”</p><p> </p><p>Silence. Persephone rolled her eyes, pressing her hand against the warm glass again, vines blooming under her fingers, blacking out the sun and, she assumed, the eyes of her mother. “You always do this, you know,” Persephone laughed humourlessly, her eyes slowly turning red from the edge of her pupil, “for as long as I can remember. Always. You’ve been squeezing the life out of me since I was a child,” She said savagely, the rough, tangled weeds growing rapidly over the windows. “Why can’t you just leave me <em>alone?” </em></p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, her mother was in front of her. She fizzed out of the hot, oppressive air. “Oh, Kore,” Her mother tilted her head, sad and patronising in a way that made Persephone’s weeds grow faster and thicker, full of thorns. “Don’t you see? You’re just proving my point. You’re just a child!” She reached out to touch her hair. A vine shot out of the ground, cracking through the paving with a hideous grinding noise, snatching Demeter’s wrist back. “Kore!” She looked down at her daughter in horror.</p><p> </p><p>“My name,” the Goddess of Spring spat savagely, “is Persephone,”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'll be honest with you guys, I'm flagging a little. I have anxiety, depression and OCD, and it's been particularly bad during lockdown. I feel like everything I write is a bit tired and you guys are getting bored of this story the longer it drags out. I'm gonna keep it going, I just thought I'd let ya know where I'm at - sorry if this is depressing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Scorned</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Minthe has had a rough day. </p><p>CW for Asspollo appearing briefly, right at the end.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you all so much for your kind words on the last chapter. It means a lot. I write for myself but it means so so much to me to know that you're enjoying this. I think we're going to get to around 30 chapters, but I'll keep ya posted. </p><p>If you feel like a sequel, we'll cross that bridge...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Minthe sat at the bar, staring furiously into her amber shot. Thetis had stayed for a while, stoking the flames of the red nymph’s rage, but she’d grown bored eventually. Hades, she decided, wasn’t going to call. Maybe the thing hadn’t worked on the little pink bitch? Then Thetis’s phone lit up with a message and she bit her lip, and that was the nail in the coffin. Minthe had wished her a good booty call with a bitter smirk and ordered another drink. That was an hour ago, and Minthe’s glass hadn’t been empty since.</p><p> </p><p>“You watered it down,” She slurred, narrowing her eyes at the blue bartender. He rolled his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t get paid enough to give a shit what you drink, sweetie,” He polished a wine glass as he looked at her, a mixture of pity and disgust. She’d come in pissed, and she’d made everyone around her suffer. Plus, she hadn’t even dropped a single Drachma in his tip jar.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck you,” Minthe muttered bitterly, half contemplating jumping the bar and scaring the shit out of him. She tested her foothold on the barstool beneath her and her heel slipped, pitching her forward into the bar. <em>Too drunk to fight, </em>she huffed, knocking back her shot. “Pour me another,” She smiled smugly as he was forced to comply.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re lucky you’re sitting right in front of me,” He huffed, sliding the shot glass across the bar and snatching her payment from her little, red claw, “I’d spit in that so fast…”</p><p> </p><p>“I want to speak…” Minthe burped softly, losing her train of thought for a second. She remembered suddenly, pointing a red finger at the supremely bored bartender. “…to your <em>manager,” </em></p><p> </p><p>He pulled the front of his shirt to show her his shiny, silver badge. He brought it close enough to her eyes that her blurry vision cleared a little and she could read the words there. “AMPELOS – MANAGER”.</p><p>Minthe spluttered, knocking back her shot to hide her embarrassment. “I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE OWNER!”</p><p> </p><p>“Listen up, girl,” Ampelos put his hand on his hip, “The owner is in the mortal realm right now so you’re fresh outta luck. I’m two seconds away from cutting you off, so shut up or decide what kind of soda you want, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Minthe flipped him off. Ampelos snorted and shook his head, handing her another shot in the manner a tired single mother hands her baby a pacifier, heading around the other side of the bar to serve his other customers on the other side of the large, oval bar. One of his nymphs approached with a drinks order from her section and, as he began pouring it, he decided to check on his two best customers of the night, filling his tip jar to overflowing, he was sure, to ensure he kept his mouth shut about all the canoodling.</p><p> </p><p>“Extra pineapple!” Minthe heard a familiar voice holler. It took her drunk brain a second to connect the dots. <em>Oh, thank Gods Thetis left before she saw her, </em>Minthe looked mournfully at her empty glass, <em>the bitch woulda lost her mind… </em>she snorted softly, her breath blowing her napkin down the bar. She stumbled to her feet and stumbled to retrieve it, catching the tail end of a conversation that made her blood boil.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“…wish someone would look at me the way he looks at her. He’s enamoured. He just doesn’t… notice anyone else!”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Minthe sat heavily in the nearest stool. She was at the point where the bar started to curve, right before she would be visible to the Queen of the Gods, and her ex’s bitch business partner. Her head thudded, listening as they turned from trashing Zeus to… that pink <em>bitch. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“She’s such a sweetheart,” Hera said, dreamily, “I couldn’t have picked him a better Queen,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“She’s feisty as hell too,” Hecate replied, with an edge of pride in her voice, “You should’ve seen what she did to that little red nymph,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Minthe’s shot glass shattered in her hand. Ampelos rolled his eyes, turning to retrieve the broom. Minthe barely noticed, leaning in to catch the rest.</p><p> </p><p><em>“Ugh, don’t get me started on </em>her,” <em>Hera slurred, “fuckin’ nymph trash,” She hiccupped, “Her and Thetis,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Hey now,” Hecate soothed, an amused lilt to her voice, “Nymphs are individuals, Hera. Many are excellent, some are…meh. Those two just </em>happen <em>to be trash,” </em></p><p> </p><p>Minthe’s eyes filled with furious tears. Her hand was bleeding from the broken glass; she hadn’t even noticed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Whatever,” Hera huffed, “What did ‘Seph do to her?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Threw her out of a goddamn </em>window,” <em>Hecate muttered with barely concealed glee, “The shades told me. Smashed a window and sent a goddamn </em>forest<em> of vines down the side of the building to carry her home,” </em></p><p>
  <em>“I’ve never been prouder!” crowed Hera, too loudly. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I wish I’d been there to see it,” Hecate muttered wistfully, “The shades said she was fine until Minthe touched Hades. Then she fucking lost it!” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Those two!” Hera laughed. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Thank fuck for truth serum!” Hecate cheered, “They’re both on it now, they won’t be able to stop themselves,” They clinked glasses.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Minthe couldn’t hear any more. She stood, knocking her chair over in her haste to get outside. She leaned against the cold bricks outside the building, dry heaving.</p><p> </p><p>She knew he’d wanted that little pink whore forever. He knew the shine of lust in his eyes, couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes were glued to every curve of her body. But she’d thought that was all it was, you know? One sided. She’d assumed that the little girl just enjoyed the attention, liked leveraging the power she had over him to get help, <em>benefits. </em>She wasn’t an idiot; she’d seen the books. She was the one that passed them from Hades’s desk to finance. She knew that little whore was being paid much better than she ought to have been.  </p><p> </p><p>She had never…</p><p> </p><p>She had <em>banked </em>on the fact that in her heart of hearts, the little bitch was using him. That it would come out, high on truth serum, and he would have to let go of his tiny, idiotic hope that she would, like, fall into his arms, and make him fucking cupcakes and brunch and shit.</p><p> </p><p>But… if what they said was right… pink bitch had a stupid crush too. She’d accidentally… she might’ve brought them together. <em>FUCK. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Her knees gave out, and she found herself sitting on the pavement. Minthe. Sitting on the pavement. She punched the concrete, the pain slicing through the haze of alcohol. She needed a new fucking plan.</p><p> </p><p>She found her handbag. She fished around inside to find her phone. She blinked through her furious tears to look at the cracked screen blinking white in the darkness. Hades was meant to buy her a new one. Now she had no job, and no… Hades. This needed to fucking end. She dialled quickly, trying to swallow the tears and bring some of that Minthe edge into her voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, uh, Apollo,” She muttered, wiping her mouth, “It’s Minthe. Minthe. River nymph…. We met at the pantheon last spring… you touched my leg and I kicked you… yeah, the stilettos,” She rolled her eyes. What a fuckin’ creep. “Listen, I got a problem. Not <em>that. </em>Can you shut up for a second? Thank you.” She took a deep breath. Did she really want to deal with this fuckstick? She looked at her bloody knuckles and swallowed. <em>I have no choice. </em>“I heard you’ve been looking for Persephone…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Impromptu Skylight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This chapter is a BIG, TW/CW YIKES for all things sexual assault, victim blaming, gaslighting, manipulation and so forth. If you need to, skip down to the bottom for a quick summary of what happens so you don't have to read anything that might be triggering or upsetting. </p><p>Worry not, dear friends, our lovers will be together soon...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CW: sexual assault, victim blaming, gaslighting, manipulation, trauma, etc. Skip to the end for a bare summary if you can't read this chapter for any reason.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Demeter had never been frightened of her daughter like this before she realised, as the thorny vines at her daughter’s command twined about her body.</p><p> </p><p> Frightened <em>for </em>her? Of course. Nothing spiked fear through Demeter like not knowing where her child was, being unaware of what she was doing… <em>who </em>she was doing it with.</p><p>Gods, she’d felt sick to her stomach when she’d found her baby in that monster’s bed. Naked. Enchanted, certainly. How else would he have lured her there? Why else would she have looked so satisfied and contented, arms wrapped around his pillow like a mortal at worship? Demeter had acknowledged with wonder the absence of locks, chains, bars on the windows…</p><p> </p><p>She’d half expected to find her daughter in some dank basement or dungeon in his awful realm. Handcuffs, at least. She should’ve known, though. Those lecherous, perverse old men, those three brothers, they didn’t like to outright kidnap or force. Too crass. Much more elegant to appear as a shower of gold falling into a poor mortal girl’s lap, hmmm? More seductive to disguise yourself as a mortal and entice them with lies and coercion. Easier to… slip her <em>child </em>a potion at some point during the daily farce of that Underworld internship, covering her eyes with a glamour that made old man <em>death </em>seem like a handsome prince…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Demeter?” the young sun god approached her as dawn drew in, his chariot glowing at the tree line, slowly charging up to the brightness of day. </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“Apollo is it?” Demeter gestured her nymphs away, “What do you want? I’m a busy woman and I know you have duties to fulfil too,” she gestured to his chariot, keen to have the handsome young God off her property. The small pink nymphs had loitered at the edge of the field behind her, giggling together as they looked at him, “My attendants are busy too, and it seems you’re a distraction,” She scowled at the pink girls who were immediately chastened and took off running to their work. </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“I know you don’t appreciate men on your property, my Lady Demeter,” He dipped his head contritely in a way that she, critical as she was, didn’t identify as entirely fake. “I wouldn’t come if it were not urgent. It’s… it’s your daughter,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Defiled, by the most unworthy of Gods. Her scholarship, her future, snatched from her. Demeter’s eyes had glowed red as Apollo told her everything. Lured away to the Underworld to be the dark concubine of Hades. Slipped a potion stolen from Zeus’s safe – of <em>course </em>it had belonged to that lecherous old creep. Kept in his home, prey to his vulgar appetites… Apollo said that a friend in the Underworld had told him just how many days of work he had missed, a man who rarely ever missed the opportunity to boss his subordinates around, undoubtedly to leave his days free to have his way with her daughter. He would <em>PAY</em>, with his life or his liberty, she would make sure that Hades would <em>long </em>for the fate of Prometheus when she got her hands on him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I have to confess,” The sun god had said in a soft, slimy voice that Demeter mistook for one overwhelmed with emotion, “Persephone and I… I know you won’t like it, but we were in love-”</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“LIES!” Demeter roared, growing, inch by inch, into her true form. </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“My Lady, please!” Apollo cowered, “We intended to bury our feelings. Persie was devoted to TGOEM, our love could never be,” He let out a theatrically wistful sigh, “but now… they will never accept her after what he’s done. And, though she has been under his spell, some will look down on her for what has happened, they will think her tarnished,” </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>Demeter let out a choked sob. “You want her hand,” She realised the truth of her words as she said them. </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“I want to protect her from hateful gossip,” He looked up at her through his lashes, “But Persie… she’s not welcomed by the mortals. I know that, though I don’t know why. If she’s scorned in Olympus, where will she go?” He sighed, “As my bride, she would have impunity. She would share the respect and adoration that I receive,”</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“Let us rescue my daughter first,” Demeter hissed, eyes scarlet, “then perhaps we can discuss her marriage prospects,” She spat. </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“I cannot accompany you, my Lady,” Apollo ducked his head to hide his smile, “but I have a friend who, alas, knows his property better than any other I know,” </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>He glanced over his shoulder to watch his red partner in crime approach from her hiding spot beside the chariot. </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“She, poor girl, was his concubine before…” Apollo trailed off intentionally, “She broke free of his hold, thank goodness,” </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“I am so sorry for what he’s done to your daughter,” Minthe summoned tears to her eyes, “I wish I could have stopped it,” </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>Demeter was more at ease with a nymph, even a crying one, and felt herself trust the young God a fraction more as he patted her shoulder chastely, comfortingly. </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“My dear, do not blame yourself,” Demeter sighed, thinking of the nymphs under her care, “Help me find her, and you will have my favour always,” </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>Minthe nodded thickly. “I know his home well, I still have a key,” She looked down, affecting a shudder, “His guard dogs… they know me. We can get in, we can get her back,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Ko- Persephone, please,” Demeter tilted her head up, trying to keep the thorned vines from binding her mouth. “Let me down, sweetheart, we can talk about this. You’re not yourself,”</p><p> </p><p>“On the contrary mother,” Persephone’s voice took on a malicious edge as the vines lifted her mother off the ground, “I’ve never been more myself,” She hissed.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s put a spell on you, Kore-cob,” Demeter fought savagely against the vines, “I never should have sent you there, never should have allowed it, I left you at his mercy” Demeter shrieked, freeing a hand for a second before being replaced by two more, “And now you’ve been… defiled, and I might have to marry you off just to preserve your reputation-”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone’s vines twined around her own feet, drawing her to her mother’s height as they pressed upwards out of the ground. “Marry me off?” She bit off savagely, leaning in uncomfortably close to her mother’s face, “MARRY ME OFF?” She almost screamed, “How <em>dare </em>you-”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing is settled, Kore-cob,” Demeter hadn’t given up trying to free herself.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop. Calling. Me. That,” Persephone hissed, lifting them both until her vines began bouncing off the ceiling, finding their way through the small gaps in the dome at the top and snaking their way into the open air. “I am under a spell, mother. A <em>truth </em>spell.”</p><p> </p><p>Demeter scoffed, tirelessly fighting the twining vines, “Is <em>that </em>what he told you? Gods, you’re more naïve than I thought,”</p><p> </p><p>“If I am <em>naïve</em>, mother,” Persephone hissed, “it is because <em>you </em>never let me have a single breath of freedom. You would never let me <em>learn </em>for myself,”</p><p> </p><p>“I give you an <em>inch </em>of freedom and look what happens,” Demeter shrieked, “you are preyed upon, and you’re too naïve to realise it, and now your whole future is <em>gone,” </em></p><p> </p><p>“How could you blame me for what happened to me?” Persephone sounded winded with rage and pain, “Apollo didn’t <em>rape </em>me because I was too naïve. He raped me because he’s a monster who <em>takes </em>what he <em>wants</em>. He hurt me because I said <em>no.</em> How could you possibly say that was my FAULT?”</p><p> </p><p>Demeter’s mouth hung open in confusion and fear. <em>Apollo? Apollo helped me </em>save <em>you. Gods, Kore, you are confused…he’s messed with your mind…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Seeing that her mother was about to protest, something small and tenuous and fragile snapped inside Persephone. “ENOUGH!” She screamed, an almighty cracking noise accompanying her rage as the ceiling of the greenhouse, enchanted as it was, caved in around them in a shower of iron and vines and green glass.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Summary: Flashback - Demeter has been approached by Apollo and Minthe, who convince her that Hades is the one that sexually assaulted Persephone, having kept Minthe as his "concubine" beforehand. Apollo offers to take Persephone's hand in marriage to "preserve her reputation" - vomit. </p><p>Meanwhile, in the present, Persephone loses it with her mother's victim-blaming, controlling-ness, and all-around lack of faith in her. She wraps her in vines and loses control, shattering the roof of the greenhouse.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Wrath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Minthe leads Hades, Hera, and Hecate to the Dread Queen.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Gross purple dude is briefly mentioned.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Minthe led Hecate, Hera and Hades through the thicket, tracing the path one of the flower nymphs had shown her that carefully bordered Demeter’s land. It was the only way she and Apollo has approached without Demeter sensing them before they were ready.</p><p> </p><p>Hera and Hecate hung back, strategizing, leaving Hades and Minthe to walk in tense silence. She pulled at her chiton anxiously. There was no way to spin this one, she’d done something awful. She had a bad feeling about Apollo from the beginning, but it had been easy to swallow it down when rage burned inside of her. Once her rage was somewhat satisfied, though, and she dropped in on Thetis to tell her the good news, she realised the depths of what she’d done.</p><p> </p><p><em>“Bitch, tell me you didn’t,” Thetis had gotten to her feet, pacing anxiously. Minthe smirked uneasily, assuming it must be a joke. Thetis sounded… </em>serious? <em>She was never serious. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“What’s the big deal? We just sent the little whore back to her mommy,” Minthe scoffed, taking a sip of her Mimosa. Her plan didn’t seem like such a good idea under a certain blood alcohol level; she needed to keep drinking. </em>
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  <em>“You really don’t read the groupchats, do you?” </em>
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  <em>Minthe shrugged, “Sooooo many notifications,”</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“The nymphs send a bulletin every time he’s at a party. They call it Purple Alert, or Code Purple,” </em>
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  <em>“I thought that was a drug thing,” She laughed, going to drain her glass. </em>
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</p><p><em>“Minthe, I’m not kidding,” Thetis grabbed her wrist, snatching the glass out of her hand. “This isn’t a joke. You know how some of them treat us up here. He’s one of the </em>worst. <em>If he’s involved, I…” Thetis sighed, dropping her eyes, “I’m worried for her,”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Hades,” Minthe said softly, “We’re almost there so I just…” She swallowed, “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry, about everything,”</p><p> </p><p>“Minthe…” He had this haunted, panicked look in his eye. He’d never been this worried about her, she realised like a punch in the gut. <em>God, he’s got it bad</em>.  He sped up to avoid her.</p><p> </p><p>“No, just, listen okay,” Minthe picked up her pace to try and keep in step with him, “Seriously. I know I’ve said it before when I didn’t mean it. You don’t have to forgive me, okay? I’m just… really sorry,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades let out a long sigh, trying to dislodge a pebble from his sandal, “Goddamn mortal clothes,” He huffed. Minthe was still staring at him and he let out a defeated breath. <em>I’m too tired for this.</em> “Look, thanks for saying that, but now…it’s just not the time. If the love of my life is unharmed when we rescue her from her mother then, you know, maybe I’ll have time to… talk,” He said with an edge of hysteria.</p><p> </p><p>“Love, huh?” Minthe said bitterly. “Damn, you move fast,”</p><p> </p><p>“Minthe, for the love of gods…”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m just saying…”</p><p> </p><p>“Just… just shut the fuck up, okay?” Hades said sharply, “just shut the <em>fuck </em>up. Remorse is great, Minthe, nice job for discovering it literally just today, but you know what’s better?” He turned to face her, eyes tired and full of worry, the relief of releasing some of his pent-up anger coursing through him, “Not being a dick in the first place! That would be a vast improvement,”</p><p> </p><p>“Wow,”</p><p> </p><p>“No, just, no, shhh,” Hades hissed, “Take a moment, on this long walk through the woods to save my… girlfriend from her ridiculous mother and the man who…” He pinched the bridge of his nose, clenching his other fist, “Take a godsdamn moment and <em>think </em>about why you were so obsessed with making sure <em>I </em>couldn’t be happy that you put Persephone in danger,” Hades’s voice was getting louder. Hecate and Hera picked up the pace, sensing an explosion. “How selfish do you have to be? You don’t <em>want </em>me. I don’t <em>want </em>you. We’re awful together. And yet, you need me to stagnate, to be miserable, <em>why? </em>What is WRONG with you?”</p><p> </p><p>Minthe looked at him with blank horror. “You are a dick on truth serum,” She whined softly.</p><p> </p><p>“At least I <em>need </em>truth serum to be a dick,”</p><p>“Wow, gods,” Minthe huffed. She looked… hurt? Genuinely hurt. “Don’t hold back.” She smiled savagely through the pain, shoving the bushes apart. They faced Demeter’s sprawling estate. “She’s in the greenhouse on the west of the house. I’m out of here,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades barely noticed her, staring at the house. His knees almost gave out with relief, knowing she was so close, knowing she was so within reach. He steadied himself against the nearest tree. <em>She had to be okay. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“She has to be okay,” He breathed.</p><p> </p><p>“She will be, Aidoneus,” Hera breezed past Minthe to touch his shoulder, “Demeter is her mother, she won’t harm her,”</p><p> </p><p>“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Hades whispered, “She’s done plenty of harm, you know as well as I do. But, even if Demeter doesn’t…” Hades palmed his forehead, “<em>He’s </em>there,” He hissed.</p><p> </p><p>“She’s tough,” Hecate arched an eyebrow, leaning against the opposite tree and studying the polished marble of Demeter’s villa. “Don’t tell me you don’t think she can handle herself?”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s been fighting her entire life, Hecate,” Hades shook his head, “I know she’s tough. She’s the bravest person I’ve ever met. Don’t mistake me, I don’t underestimate her. I just wish she didn’t <em>have </em>to fight anymore,” A thin film of tears began to cover his eyes, “I want to be the safety, and comfort, and <em>freedom </em>she’s never had. She deserves the world and she’s been given so little, contended with so much… and she’s still so <em>kind. </em>I’m in awe of her,” He shook his head, “I’m in awe of her,”</p><p> </p><p>Hecate and Hera leaned back to meet each other’s eyes behind his back. Hera placed her hand over her heart. Hecate touched his arm in a rare physical show of care.</p><p> </p><p>Minthe dashed the hot tears away from her cheeks and disappeared into the woods. No-one had <em>cared </em>when she said she was leaving. No one had even <em>looked </em>at her. All that shit about how Persephone has been through so much and it had made her <em>kind… </em>Minthe knew he wasn’t trying to hurt her, gods knows he had probably forgotten she was even there, but it lanced through her heart anyway. Minthe had always carried the chip on her shoulder, used it as the reason for her cruelty, her self-preservation instinct, her inability to trust. And, yet, here was a much younger girl, who had seen cruelty and suffocation, just like Minthe, and it had made her <em>kinder. Can’t fucking compete with that. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>There was an almighty crashing noise, and Minthe pushed her way out of the treeline, a short distance from the three Gods, to see what it was. A tiny pink figure emerged from a shower of emerald glass, vines growing viciously from inside her very skin. In the blink of an eye, they overwhelmed the greenhouse structure, crushing it in the fist her vines formed around the building. A green woman was almost invisible in the tangle of vines, held, limbs spread, like a human sacrifice across a forgotten altar, overwhelmed by nature in the depths of the forest.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, shit,” Minthe barked out a humourless, savage laugh, “So much for kindness,”  </p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Sundown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dread queens, ya know?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Persephone felt a strange, magnetic tug in the pit of her stomach. She felt like she was about to explode anyway, her skin was on fire, her eyes burned, and she knew they were red as mortal blood. Vines tore themselves from her skin and she felt electric, thrumming with savage joy, with release. She watched her mother - her strong, powerful mother, the woman who’s controlled her for 20 years, the woman she’d feared and loved and hated all at once – fighting as hard as she could against Persephone’s power and yet… finding herself immobile. Powerless.</p><p> </p><p>But now, added to the tsunami of sensations thrilling her without and within, was a tugging sensation, tugging her vision down and towards…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Him. </em>
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</p><p>She trembled in excitement, her primal form recognising its mate. He was here to watch her, to see her strength and power. Here to watch his queen exert her power.</p><p> </p><p>“Hades!” She sighed, blissfully, reaching out her hand to him. He flew to her side… still blue she noticed, with a pout. She loved his blue skin, certainly, but at this moment… at this new apex of power… she wanted to see his primordial flesh, black and full of galaxies.</p><p> </p><p>“Sweetness,” He whispered to her softly, touching her cheek. She was shaking, vibrating, her teeth chattering as she smiled at him. A gold line of blood trickled from her nostril, “My love, I need you to stop,”</p><p> </p><p>Her face crumpled, pulling away from his touch. “Why?” She hissed, “Look at what I can do. She can see it now, I will make it known,” She smothered Demeter’s reply with a tangle of vines. “Watch this,” She whispered with excitement, seemingly determined to show him what she was capable of. She lifted her hand in the air, the wind roaring around her as a vine shot straight up.</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone, please,” He reached for her, but she fought against his hold. He tried not to let his heart break at her resistance; she had never pulled away from his touch like that before. “I know how powerful you are, sweetness, I’ve always known. You don’t have to prove anything,”</p><p> </p><p>“To <em>you,” </em>She hissed, staring into her mother’s eyes. “<em>Watch,” </em>Her other nostril began to bleed, her body shaking out of control.</p><p> </p><p>Hades noticed with a start that daylight was beginning to dim. It was as if… as if the light was becoming concentrated, brighter but smaller, swallowed by surrounding darkness into a singularity. He looked up, and she did too, her eyes glittering, full of falling sunlight.</p><p> </p><p>A chariot trailing a blazing ball of light crashed to earth, setting Demeter’s garden alight as it landed, thorny vines tangled in the spokes.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Persephone was somewhere dark, supported by two strong arms, moving forward in a steady rhythm. She felt a dull, momentary panic… who held her? She turned her face against the fabric at her cheek and inhaled deeply.</p><p> </p><p>Cold, freshness and a warm, smokiness. Like sweet cedar wood and dry, spent autumn leaves, a bonfire to warm a cold night.</p><p> </p><p>She let out a soft sigh and let her tired limbs relax. Safe. Safe to rest now.</p><p> </p><p>She nuzzled closer to his warmth, hearing, vaguely, a door creaking open, feeling a change in warmth as a door closed softly behind them.</p><p> </p><p>“… my wife…” She heard his voice say, soft and tender. She knew the words weren’t right somehow, but she liked them. She smiled against the fabric. That wasn’t right either, she acknowledged sleepily, softer and draping, simpler, than the crisp cotton she was used to under her cheek when he held her. Or soft, bare skin with rippling muscles beneath. She felt her cheeks heat, even half-asleep. “… walked a long way. She’s ill and… tired. Yes… no, any room… fine,”</p><p> </p><p>She felt herself moving again, held tight against his chest again, swaying slowly upwards. Another door, another handful of mumbled words, another door closed. The dip of a bed beneath her. The creak of a chair, and a large hand holding hers as she slept. A heavy tiredness in every bone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another chapter imminent, keep an eye out! </p><p>And, as always, I love feedback!</p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. In Plain Sight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hades and Persephone hide out.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hecate was used to cleaning up messes but, as much as she ribbed him, the messes were rarely of Hades’s making. He was, unlike his brothers, deeply responsible and serious, mature professionally even if he did behave like a thirteen-year-old when it came to matters of the heart. This was an unprecedented clusterfuck and, she thought, remembering the look of pure terror in that tiny, dreadful goddess’s eyes as she lost consciousness, Hecate couldn’t blame either of them.</p><p> </p><p>Hecate and Hera were supervising the clean-up operation. Demeter insisted upon reviving her barley herself, laying her trembling hands on the trembling earth and trying to reinvigorate the blackened stalks. She refused to speak to anyone, leaving the two other goddesses to organise the terrified nymphs. Dozens of Demeter’s assistants worked to take down Persephone’s towering, twining vines, and clear up the shattered glass around the greenhouse. Demeter had been working on her barley for hours, and the earth looked as deadened as before.</p><p> </p><p>Hecate and Hera shared a look over the heads of the toiling nymphs, and slowly began to walk towards her. She seemed to be in a trance. As they watched silently, she pressed her fingers to the earth, sending green shockwaves through the soil. The earth bloomed with barley stalks that lived for a moment and then withered around her.</p><p> </p><p>“Deme,” Hecate said softly, “Can we help you?” She reached out to touch Demeter’s shoulder. The green goddess flinched away from her, like a cornered animal. Her robe was tattered, her hair dishevelled, and her body covered in small puncture wounds from her daughter’s attack, the ichor dried in golden pinstripes on her green arms. Her palms and arms were smudged with dirt, her forehead was damp with sweat.</p><p> </p><p>“Haven’t you done enough?” Demeter hissed savagely, raising herself on her bare feet without her usual grace. “Don’t you think I know who the dark king would consult if he wanted to make a potion to seduce my daughter?” She crossed her arms, glaring at Hecate.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>That’s </em>what you think?” Hecate barked out a laugh.</p><p> </p><p>“I know it’s true. No child of <em>mine </em>would willingly become the whore of the God of Death,” Demeter spat.</p><p> </p><p>“Have you considered that perhaps she <em>likes </em>him, of her own volition?” Hecate was getting riled up. <em>How do you see your kid lose it because she can’t stand being under your thumb anymore and </em>still <em>think you’re mom of the year? Still think </em>he’s <em>the problem?</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Please,” Demeter scoffed, “She’s a child. He’s a foul old man. She wouldn’t choose that,”</p><p>
  
</p><p>“She’s an <em>adult </em>Demeter, and she will do and want whatever she chooses. She chose him. She chose the Underworld. She <em>chose </em>not to join that insane virginity cult you’re so fond of. Why can’t you accept that?”</p><p> </p><p>“BECAUSE IT’S NOT TRUE!” Demeter screeched desperately, “It… it can’t be true. I wanted her to be so much more. I wanted her to be safe. I have to protect her,” Demeter sniffed, collapsing back on to the ground.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you realise how many times you just used the world <em>I</em>?” Hecate said softly, “She doesn’t belong to you, Deme. She’s an independent woman with her own will, and trust me, that will is <em>strong,” </em>Hecate gestured around them, “Look at what she did here,”</p><p> </p><p>“B-but, this is just evidence that she’s not <em>ready </em>to make her own choices! She’s out of control,”</p><p> </p><p>“Or is it just the explosion that comes when you <em>smother </em>her?”</p><p> </p><p>“The red nymph, his last whore, and… the sun god,” Demeter said, grasping at straws, “they <em>told </em>me-”</p><p> </p><p>“ENOUGH!” Hera boomed, startling the already skittish flower nymphs behind her. “Don’t you <em>dare </em>bring that… sun creature into this,” Hera began to glow gold.</p><p> </p><p>He had been badly injured in the crash. Persephone had snatched a glimpse at him, terror and delight glinting in her red eyes as she watched him crawl out of his chariot, bleeding, aflame. Blackness started creeping into the edges of her vision and she’d been afraid, just for an instant. Then she’d lost consciousness, falling into Hades’s arms. He’d flown down to ground level with her in his arms, casting a scornful look at the sun god who reached out blindly for help, and kicking him in the face. He rolled over, groaning, and Hades had looked at Hecate, helplessly; <em>what do I do? </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Get her out of here,” She’d hissed, glancing up at Demeter who had managed to break free of some of the more deadened vines. “Go!” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The ground had opened up ahead of him, six panting black stallions dragging his chariot out of the earth. He had settled the precious cargo into his chariot as Demeter began scaling the thorny pillar, desperate to reach him before he could leave. Before he could take her. Hades met Hecate’s eyes for the briefest second before he disappeared into the earth again.</p><p> </p><p>“That sun god… the one Kore hurt?” Demeter stared at Hera, “what did he ever do to you?”</p><p> </p><p> “It’s not…” Hera bit her lip, clenching her fists, “it’s not what he did to <em>me…</em>”</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Persephone awoke in a simple room, pale sunlight peeking through the curtains. Hades slept restlessly in a wooden chair at her side. He was wearing a black himation edged with golden thread, a golden brooch at his shoulder. The sleeve slipped down his arm, revealing more of his beautiful blue skin, and even exhausted, half-conscious, she itched to touch him. She blinked, slowly, looking around the room. Where was she?</p><p> </p><p>Stone floor and walls. A simple wooden door. An earthenware jug filled with cold water. She looked under the blankets, blushing as she noted the strophion - a band of plain fabric - bound around her ample breasts, and the simple cloth perizoma, the only thing shielding her nether regions from the open air.  Her dress hung neatly over the other chair in the room. She blushed softly, looking up at the handsome god dozing in front of her. She knew two things with almost absolute certainty.</p><p> </p><p>They were in the mortal realm, and Hades had stripped her and changed her, possibly multiple times, since she’d last been conscious.</p><p> </p><p>She swung her legs out of the large bed, careful not to wake him, and went discreetly to the window. Without opening the curtains, lest she risk dazzling the mortals with her true form, she concentrated her somewhat revived energy and crooked a finger, luring a small stem of mint to creep under the shade. She broke off a few leaves and chewed them quickly, swallowing them down with a small earthenware cup of cold water. She wasn’t exactly sure kissing was on the agenda, but she hadn’t brushed her teeth since she’d been kidnapped. She longed to kiss him, and she didn’t want captive breath to put him off if she got the chance. She took another long pull of cool water and sighed; she had missed the water here, bested only by the cool water pulled from the depths of the underworld’s aqueducts. The water on Olympus was almost artificially sweet.</p><p> </p><p>“Little goddess?” Hades mumbled, blinking blearily at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Hades,” She turned to him, biting her lip as she took him in. Gods, he was beautiful. She wanted to be in his arms this <em>second </em>but she couldn’t deny it. She was <em>afraid. </em></p><p> </p><p>Her mother’s kidnapping had burst their little bubble of perfection, first of all. But, the last time he’d seen her, she’d been… out of control. She had been pure power, pure energy, releasing the rage and frustration she’d carried with her for <em>years. </em>He’d begged her to stop, he’d tried to reason with her, and she’d…</p><p> </p><p>It had become so much more acute, so much sharper, since she’d had a taste of freedom and… love. She had only had an idea of what she was missing before, but now she <em>knew. </em>And the idea of losing that, the idea of losing the friendships and purpose and… everything else she’d found there, had snapped something inside of her. It all felt different now.</p><p> </p><p>“I…” She whispered, searching for the words. Hades stood up and crossed the room to her, an unreadable look in his eyes. Her heart thudded as he approached, his tall frame looming over her tiny one. He was so close, she had to lean back to look at him. He pressed his hand to her jaw, stroking the soft skin of her craned neck.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Persephone,” He clutched her to him, holding her in a tight, fierce embrace, “I thought I’d lost you,”</p><p> </p><p>“Never,” She whispered into his shoulder. “Never,”</p><p> </p><p>“You were…” He leaned back to look searchingly in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I know, I’m sorry,” She looked down, “I was just so…angry,”</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone,” he tilted her chin up, “You were <em>extraordinary,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“But,” Persephone protested, “You said-”</p><p> </p><p>“I said you didn’t have to prove anything, sweetness, and I meant it. But you <em>did </em>prove it<em>,</em>” He brushed her hair away from her face, “I wanted to stop you from hurting your mother, darling girl. I am angry with her too but you love her, I didn’t think you’d want to go too far,” He pressed his forehead to hers, “And then, Gods, seeing you pull that puny little sun god out of the <em>sky </em>as if he was <em>nothing</em>, because he <em>is </em>nothing,” His breathing hitched, “You just confirmed what I knew already. That you are the most <em>incredible </em>goddess I’ve ever met, and I am the luckiest being who ever drew breath to um…” He blushed, losing confidence. “to know you. To… love you,”</p><p> </p><p>They remembered simultaneously what she’d admitted before she had been kidnapped. He remembered her firm, loving words, her fierce look. He remembered how she’d convinced him in that perfect little bubble in his house that she…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I…” She touched his face, pressing a kiss to his noble brow, “I love you, Aidoneus,”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>He was crying now, in earnest.  He held her hands in her lap as they pressed their foreheads together. “Oh, my Persephone,” He whispered, reverent, once more worshipful, “I cannot understand why you have chosen such an unworthy vessel for your love. I     cannot understand why you would choose my dark, cold home as your sanctuary. But as long as I live, I will strive to be worthy of this, I swear, I will do all I can to be what you deserve,” He kissed her hands, his tears falling into her lap.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>She put her hands on his face, tilting his handsome features until they were tear-stained eye to tear-stained eye. “Don’t you dare question my judgement,” she said sternly, “I would not love you if you were unworthy of my love. I know myself and my desires, do you think I am wrong for loving you? That I am naïve or stupid?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“N-no, my queen,” Both of their eyes were swollen and puffy, they were holding each other for dear life.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Do you think I would deign to love a man who was not what I deserved?” She asked, trying to be stern, queenly, even as her lip trembled and tears streamed down her cheeks. “Why do I feel more at home in this realm than anywhere else I have ever been, and so much more at peace in your house than any other place? Why do you insist on denying what is plain, what is right in front of you?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Did she still feel the same way? Everything seemed different now. The axis of the world had shifted since they’d shared his bed and begun exploring each other. This was real, and urgent, and painful. He couldn’t hold her to impassioned words said in a cocoon of sex and heady affection.</p><p> </p><p>“Hades,” Persephone breathed, noting with a frown his worried look, “Come and sit with me on the bed? I’m still feeling a little tired,”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, little flower,” He kissed her forehead and took a step back. They both seemed to notice for the first time how…underdressed she was. His hands were drawn like magnets to the strip of soft, pink skin between her strophion and her crude underwear. “Just a ploy to get me into bed, hm?”</p><p> </p><p>She blushed and rolled her eyes, taking his hand and leading him to the bed. She noticed, too, how short his himation was, revealing a good deal of his muscular thigh. <em>Are you the girl who took him in your mouth only days ago? Who put his mouth on </em>you? She wondered at herself, <em>and now you’re acting like he’s just a handsome stranger? </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Hades settled down beside her on the bed, helping her ease herself back against the wall behind the bed, drawing her little feet into his lap. He rubbed her arches firmly with his thumbs, relishing her soft moan of relief. <em>It feels so different now, </em>he mused, <em>a few days ago my head was buried between her thighs and now touching her perfect little foot feels almost painfully intimate…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“How long did I sleep?” Persephone asked softly.</p><p> </p><p>“About three days,” He kneaded her soft, tired flesh up to her calf.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Her eyes widened slightly, “Wow,”</p><p> </p><p>“You knocked yourself out, sweetness,” He smiled softly, but she noted the strain in it. <em>Three days </em>he’d been sitting worried at her bedside, unable to speak to her, to see she was okay. She could see the patina of dried tears under his eyes, forgotten and left unwashed when he saw she was awake, and the dark rings and puffy bags. <em>Oh, my sweet king…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Where are we?” She asked softly, reaching down her soft leg to catch his hand in hers. “I know the Mortal Realm, I just… what happened?”</p><p> </p><p>“You wiped yourself out, sweetness,” Hades scooted back on to the bed to be closer to her, burying his hand in her hair as he slung her legs across his knees. “Just after you pulled that bastard out of the sky, you collapsed. Demeter was finally able to free herself, and <em>he </em>was a bloody mess, and I…” He sucked in a harsh breath, “I couldn’t let her take you again. I couldn’t. I had to hide you away somewhere safe. I’m sorry I kidnapped you, sweetness, I just didn’t know what else to do,”</p><p> </p><p>“You can abduct me any time,” She waggled her eyebrows to make him laugh, ease the tension in his worried brow. “So, why the Mortal Realm?”</p><p> </p><p>“Plain sight,” He shrugged, “I thought some small mortal fishing village was the last place Demeter would look for us. I thought we could lay low, take a little, uh, vacation, and wait for more news. I couldn’t risk Hermes giving us away, but I have a sort of <em>mortal realm burner </em>that I use in emergencies,” He plucked a small, reed flute from his belt and played a few sweet notes. “It’s like a code. Hecate has its twin. We’ve been communicating a little but it’s hard,” The flute hummed a few notes autonomously; Hecate’s reply.</p><p> </p><p>Hades: <em>She’s awake. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Hecate: <em>Good. Ask her. Now. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“She can’t tell me much, it’s a rudimentary thing, but she’s been taking care of your mother, making sure they nab the shitty sun god the second he’s discharged from the hospital-”</p><p> </p><p>“B-but he’s immortal?” Persephone raised an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“You did a number on him, love,” They shared a conspiratorial smile, “Helios has been doing his duties since we left. You fucked him up,” He beamed with pride, leaning forward hesitantly to kiss her cheek. She turned her face a little, letting his uncertain mouth brush her lips. Their gentle kiss grew heated almost immediately, clumsy lips reintroducing themselves, trembling hands clinging to what they had almost lost.</p><p>
  
</p><p>“I missed you so much, Hades,” Persephone felt the emotion well up inside of her unprovoked as they broke apart, leaning their foreheads together. That startled her into remembering something important. “Wait! The truth spell… are we still…?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, “Minthe did it. She thought…” He stroked her cheek sadly, “She thought I’d confess my feelings for you and you’d run for the hills,” He chuckled uneasily. “Then she figured, um, you were just too polite to shut me down so she dosed your pizza. She thought you’d tell me that you… that you didn’t…” He swallowed back the emotion he felt.</p><p> </p><p>“I love you, Hades,” Persephone said simply. His head snapped up, his hands gripping her upper arms as he searched her eyes for confirmation. “ I could feel you doubting it so… there, I said it again, I said it <em>now,</em> and I said it on a truth spell too, so you can’t doubt it again. I love you, Aidoneus. I love <em>you.” </em></p><p> </p><p>He let out a delighted laugh, pulling her close to him and kissing her hungrily. <em>Yes, </em>she thought with a thrill, <em>he doesn’t know it but I’m going to let him have me in this mortal bed. </em>She chuckled softly to herself, grateful for all the truth potion had done to assure her he wanted her, allowing her to feel confident and, hell, a little experience. She imagined the look on his face when she unbound her breasts and asked him to fuck her. <em>This is going to be fun. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>She mused again on what a dreadful eternal maiden she would be, almost hearing Eros’s voice in her ear; <em>you little slut, I’m so proud of you. </em>Even the whole ‘no sex before marriage’ thing seemed so ridiculous to her, she hummed as his ravenous mouth consumed her, his hands creeping up her legs, how could she deny herself this until she was ready for…</p><p> </p><p>Marriage.</p><p> </p><p>Sleepy words filtered back to her, warm and warped by drowsiness.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“… my wife…walked a long way. She’s ill and… tired. Yes… no, any room… fine,” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Hades?” Persephone breathed, loath to stop him as he slowly inched on top of her, peppering her mouth with kisses.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes sweetness?” He said dreamily against her skin. <em>She loves me. She meant it. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“We’re on truth serum, right?” She murmured. “That’s what you just said,”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, sweetness,” He looked up at her in confusion, “Wha-?”</p><p> </p><p>“When we…” She swallowed, looking up at him with wide eyes, “When we arrived, I thought you… you called me your <em>wife</em>,” She smiled sheepishly, watching his face go blank in horror, “and I… I don’t think you threw up?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Your feedback sustains me! Only two chapters left to the end of this installment... I'll ask you properly on chapter 30 if you want more! But I have another idea that I want to do some work on so keep an eye out for my next fic this weekend!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. The Child. The Woman. The Crone.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Persephone and Hades have a day out in the mortal realm.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Hades followed his “wife” around the market in the square, carrying her many purchases as she flitted from stall to stall like an eager moth between flames. They were both in their mortal disguises, Hades’s shock of long white hair, and tanned skin. Persephone’s waist-length black hair swayed behind her as she walked, her simple white chiton brushing her ankles, stark against the rich, warm darkness of her mortal skin. Even disguised, he would know her anywhere.</p><p> </p><p>“Aidon!” She called to him, looking over her shoulder with playful annoyance. “Hurry up!”</p><p> </p><p>“Coming, dear,” Hades rolled his eyes with endearment, enjoying their new roles. He caught up to her easily, his long strides easily tripling her own, her basket of purchases swinging at his elbow. “What is it sweetness?”</p><p> </p><p>“We have lunch,” She gestured to the pitta and accoutrements in the basket, nestled amongst other knickknacks they’d found on the tables of this small, eclectic market, “But my friend here,” She gestured to the grey-haired woman standing at the stall, wrapped in a white cloak and clutching a long, willow staff and smiling a kind, tired smile. “has reminded me of something essential we’ve missed,” She smiled softly at him, gesturing at the row of pithos jars on the table.</p><p> </p><p>“Wine?” Hades quirked a brow.</p><p> </p><p>“You can try it, sir,” The older lady said softly, wincing a little in pain as she shifted to serve him.</p><p> </p><p>“Please, let me,” Hades placed their basket between Persephone’s sandalled feet and moved to help the old merchantess pour some of the dark red liquid into two silver chalices. Hades was a little rusty with sensing the needs of living mortals, but he’d seen the look of pain and desperation in the eyes of many shades. Poor, starving shades who had died mid-step on the road to destitution, they carried the weight of their fear into the afterlife with them. He’d just never seen it ripen like this, only wither as mortal concerns became memories, as their worries shifted to the livelihood of their living friends.</p><p> </p><p>“Mátēr,” Hades said softly, he remembered vaguely that calling elder women <em>mother </em>was a sign of respect. He gently supported her elbow as she teetered, “Can I get you a seat?”</p><p> </p><p>“My boy,” She smiled at him, he blushed softly; it had been millenia since he’d been called <em>anything</em> young<em>. </em>“Do not worry about me. Besides, I do not sit while I work,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades frowned thoughtfully and caught Persephone’s eye. She was looking at him with a warm, tender look, like he was the sweetest thing she’d ever seen. The mortal flesh at the edge of his ears turned red.</p><p> </p><p>“Is this your husband, lady?” the old woman looked knowingly between the two blushing Gods in disguise.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, um,” She remembered their conversation at the inn, “Y-yes,” She coloured even deeper, biting his lip as she looked at him with naked desire.</p><p> </p><p>“Ahhh,” the old lady laughed, “newlyweds! Of course!” She patted Hades’s arm, “you remind me of myself and my husband when we were first married. Although, <em>I </em>was never as beautiful as your…?”</p><p> </p><p>“Persa,” Hades smiled, her mortal alias slipping off of his tongue with ease.</p><p> </p><p>The old lady nodded in a knowing way, watching how Hades’s eyes lit up when he looked at her, “And my husband was never as handsome as your Aidon,” The old lady arched an eyebrow, looking appraisingly at Hades. Persephone giggled at the stunned look on his face.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Aidon, looks like I have competition for your affection,” Persephone laughed, enjoying his blush, enjoying how kindly and tenderly he held the old woman up as she waned against his arm, enjoying how his kindness and attention had stripped ten years off of the old mortal’s face.</p><p> </p><p>“Good lady,” Hades’s thoughtful frown had been melted by the old lady’s playful teasing, but it returned in full force now, “What is your name?”</p><p> </p><p>“Agatha,” The old lady smiled, leaning more heavily against him as her knees gave out a little.</p><p> </p><p>“That does it,” His jaw was set in determination, “Agatha, how many pithos of wine do you have with you today?”</p><p> </p><p>“Twenty, young one,” Agatha said wearily. “The last of my family’s crop,” He saw her lip tremble slightly, but she forced a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“We will take them all,” Hades said firmly. Agatha looked at him in stunned silence. “Good lady, you say you do not sit while you are working. You have sold all of your wares. Your work is done,” Hades smiled up at Persephone, an innocent vulnerability in his eyes, his look saying <em>did I do well? </em>Her soft, wide smile answered him.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, now that your work is done,” Persephone took their basket on one arm and looped her other through Agatha’s arm, “You can join us for lunch and rest yourself, if you’d like?”</p><p> </p><p>“Where did you come from?” Agatha looked at them with wild, wondering eyes as Hades released her arm and filled the old woman’s hands with purses full of coins, “am I dreaming?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Persephone said softly.</p><p> </p><p>“Love, would you take Agatha to the spot we picked for lunch?” He kissed his “wife” on the head, “I will get someone to take some of the jars to the inn, and I’ll bring one over for us soon,”</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Of course,”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“When we…” She swallowed, looking up at him with wide eyes, “When we arrived, I thought you… you called me your </em>wife<em>,” She smiled sheepishly, watching his face go blank in horror, “and I… I don’t think you threw up?”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>Hades leaned back, startled. She’d been </em>asleep. <em>How did he keep messing everything up? </em></p><p> </p><p><em>“Uh, yes, yes… I…” He stammered, reeling himself back from his position on top of her. “I only said that to… to give us a cover story in this realm, that’s all,” He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, “We’ve barely… we’ve only just </em>started <em>and I would never try to pressure you like that, I-” a small pink hand closed over his mouth. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Hades,” She sighed, “Stop it. I’ve told you how I feel about you, and, yes, it’s a bit soon to be, you know, thinking about a-all that,” she blushed, “But, what I’m saying is… you lied to the innkeeper. Why didn’t you need to throw up?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I…” His brow wrinkled in confusion, “I don’t know?” he stared at her, “I… I don’t know,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Do you think the truth </em>thing… <em>do you think Hecate’s fixed it?” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Hmm, let me see,” Hades steeled himself, “I do </em>not<em> think Kore has the most perfect breasts in the cosmos,”  </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>She laughed at his nonsense, and laughed harder, pitching back on to the bed, when he shot up queasily and darted desperately around, looking for a place to be sick. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Are you laughing at my suffering, sweetness?” He staggered to his feet, feigning hurt even as he delighted in her helpless giggles. “Gods, my mouth tastes foul,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Here,” Persephone managed to rein in her giggles, walking over to the sickly God. She took his hand and, with her other beckoned towards the window, reviving her mint plant. He smiled at her. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You,” He brushed her hair away from her face, “are incredible, little goddess,” He leaned forward to kiss her, but she flinched away with a giggle. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Chew on the mint first, oh Unseen One,” She laughed, “Unseen but not unsmelled, I have to tell you,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh, how you wound me, Sweetness,” He laughed, plucking a handful of leaves from her branch, and swallowing them rapidly. “Am I suitable to be kissed now?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>She got close to him, inspecting him for kissableness. “Approved,” She grinned, and pulled him down to her. He slowly walked her back to the bed, following her down as she lay on top of the blanket. “So, we’re still under the influence,” She said between kisses, touching his face. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“It seems so,” He brushed her cheek, “I’m sorry, sweetness. I was getting it when…everything happened,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You’d better stop apologising,” She grabbed his tunic in her fist. “Or else,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>The saucy response Hades was about to give died on his lips “Do you think…” he began, almost automatically, “… do you think, perhaps…” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You’re making me nervous, love,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Before,” He said nonsensically, “Sorry, no, I mean, in the earlier days, there was…” He struggled to articulate, his heart thrumming as he weighed his words, “there was this thing, this concept. There wasn’t really such a thing as… marriage, but it was like the origin. It’s what gave Hera her power. It was… we called it soulbinding, then,” He flicked his eyes up to her wide, dark ones, understanding blooming in her eyes. “Hera learned to harness it, and she could bind people if they were willing, even if they weren’t naturally bound. It was a really intense thing, to be bound like that, spontaneously. But… it did… happen…?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You think we’re… bound?” Persephone bit her lip. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t know, I don’t know,” Hades felt panic bubbling up inside of him. Her expression was utterly unreadable. “I’m so sorry Kore, I never meant to trap you or bind you in any way. I know how you value your freedom and I would never… I never wish to take that away from you,” He tried to catch her eyes, “I promise you, Kore, as soon as we resurface, I’ll fix it. I’ll get Hera to fix it. Please, Kore-”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Kore is an intimate name,” She said softly, “And you may always use it, Aidoneus. But my name, my true name, is Persephone,” She looked him in the eyes, holding his gaze with an intensity that stole his breath, “Persephone. Bringer of death. This is who I am. You saw my power, you saw what I can do,” She reached up to thread her fingers into his hair, “Do you not think I’ve thought of marrying you, Aidoneus?” She said with a creeping smile. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Y-y-you have?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I have. Even when it was just a crush, when I didn’t know that I… loved you,” She brushed her hands through his soft hair, “It was a sweet fantasy of mine. And it’s only become sweeter as I’ve come to know you better, to love you. Terrifying, as it’s become more real, of course, but also…exciting,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Really?” Hades felt like his stomach had gone from the soles of his feet to the air above his head in 10 dizzying seconds. </em>She loves me. That was more than I could ever deserve. This? He couldn’t believe this was real. It was as if every iota of pain, every year of solitude, every scar on his skin, had been marked like a tally on the wall of the fates, a debt of agony to be repaid in one tidal wave of joy.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Really,” She whispered, tears brimming in her eyes, “But, even when you seemed interested in me, I… I was so sure I was unworthy,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Sweetness!” He looked at her with incredulity. She smiled through her building tears, shushing him softly. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You are a king, no matter what delusions you hold about yourself. You’re so strong, and beautiful, and kind,” She touched his jaw, seeing his own glittering tears begin to form, “I was a minor goddess. An unfocused jumble of pent up desires that didn’t even know who I was yet, because I’d never had the chance to learn. I’ve been learning, though, Aidoneus,” She whispered, “I am powerful, strong. I bet I could kick your ass,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t doubt it,” He laughed wetly, tasting salt. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I am a work in progress and so are we. I don’t know myself totally yet, and you have a lot of toxic things to weed out, but I’m not afraid I’m unworthy anymore,” Tears were falling hard now, but the smile on her lips never wavered, “I know who I am. I am Persephone, Goddess of Spring, Bringer of Death, Mother of Mutts,” He laughed breathlessly at that, holding her tighter, “Baker of Baklava, Infuriator of King, Survivor of Sunlight,” She kissed him then, a brief peck to let him know she was okay before she pushed through, “scholar, friend, the proud owner of, what was it? The best tits in the cosmos?” She laughed, “and your queen, if you’ll have me,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>He was suffocated for a moment, no air, no words, just mind-melting happiness. “Yes,” He said, “Yes. Gods </em>YES!<em> My queen,” He kissed her, hungry and deep, pulling her body close to his. “My love. My Persephone,” She mewled into his mouth as he rolled on top of her, pressing his hardness into the crease of her thigh. “Stop me if I go too far, my love,” He whispered, thrusting against her hesitantly. “Is this okay?” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes,” She groaned, encouraging him to shift so that his cock nestled between her legs, providing beautiful friction where she ached for him. “Please, I need you. Touch me,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>Hades wasn’t going to refuse, especially when she said it in that breathless, sex-addled voice. Her hands knotted into his hair as he pulled her thigh over his hip, pressing himself closer to her. Her simple mortal underwear was no match for his feverish thrusts, and his </em>lack<em> of underwear beneath his simple mortal garment meant that hard, straining flesh slid against warm wetness unexpectedly, making them both gasp. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Persephone, my love,” Hades groaned, “We should stop,” His hips jerked against her erratically and involuntarily. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I want you, Hades,” She whispered, “Please,” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>He was about to give in to the desires thrumming through his blood when Persephone’s stomach let out an almighty rumble. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Ohhhh,” She shook him off of her, doubling over to clutch her stomach, “Owwwww, what is this?” She whined, every bit the petulant girl who wasn’t getting what she wanted, “Did my mom put a sex curse on me ‘cos I ran off with you?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Maybe,” Hades sighed, trying to stop his erection from tenting the front of his tunic obscenely, “Or, perhaps, it’s because you haven’t eaten in three days?” He quirked an eyebrow. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh, yeah,” She said sheepishly.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Come on, little goddess,” He smoothed her hair, “As much as this is the last thing I want to say, we’ve got to get you food, so…” He swung his legs out of bed, moving as far away from her enticing pink </em>heat <em>as he could, “put your clothes on,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>**</p><p>“He’s a good man,” Agatha told Persephone, as the younger woman helped her to settle on a tree stump in the grassy verge they’d chosen. A few yards away, the grass resolved into white sand that stretched to an azure ocean. The air was clean and cool, refreshing in the heat.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s…” Persephone smiled to herself, settling herself and her basket down on the ground at Agatha’s feet, “He’s the most wonderful person I’ve ever met,”</p><p> </p><p>“Where did you meet him?”</p><p> </p><p>“At a party. I had too much to drink,” Persephone blushed.</p><p> </p><p>“Persa, my dear, you don’t get into my line of work if you don’t know how to enjoy a drink,”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone smiled and pulled a rug blue rug they’d purchased at the market out of the basket,  “Someone put me in the back of his cart as a joke, thinking to ruin my reputation and make me hate him, make me think him a kidnapper,” She spread the blanket on the grass, “But he was kind to me. He did not realise I was there until we were home and he did not know where I came from!” She and Agatha shared a chuckle at that, “So, he put me to bed, tried nothing, took care of me, fed me, introduced me to his hounds, and took me home,”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone began spreading out the food. She popped an olive in her mouth, slowly peeling the green flesh from the pit. Agatha knocked her willow cane against the ground impatiently.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry!” Persephone laughed, “Well, I was smitten with him. But he was a powerful man, he needed someone of his ilk to stand by his side. There was another woman but he…” Persephone shook her head, untying the warm muslin the pittas had been wrapped in by the baker, “He always took care of me. Spoke to me for hours if he could. Whenever he would see me, his face would just… light up. He never…”</p><p> </p><p>“Looked at this other hussy that way, hm?” Agatha tapped her cane on the ground to punctuate her point.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, yes, exactly,” She tucked a lock of raven, mortal hair behind her ear, “And then my… godmother arranged for me to go and work on his… farm, so I saw him every day, and we could not deny it any longer,” Persephone ducked her head, “and, so, here we are,”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you happy, little dove?” Agatha asked, as Persephone heaped hummus on to a pitta for her and handed it to the old woman.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve never felt happier in my life,” She muttered, “He is so good and kind and loving and loyal. But, best of all, he lets me be who I am. He never asks for my freedom in exchange for his love,” She smiled, tearing off a mouthful of bread, “My mother was an incredible woman-”</p><p> </p><p>“Was?” Agatha’s brow furrowed, “Is the good lady no longer with us, Persa?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, no,” Persephone tore off another piece of bread, toying with it anxiously between her fingers, “We are just… not on the best terms, presently. She… she does not approve of Aidon,”</p><p> </p><p>“I see,” Agatha hummed thoughtfully, “Well, mother does so often know best…”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you have any children?” Persephone said with an unintentional sharpness.</p><p> </p><p>“I had a daughter once,” Agatha said sadly, “she ran away with a man because I did not approve. Forgive me, Persa, it is merely a sore subject for me,”</p><p> </p><p>“Was the man good?”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t think so but, then, I didn’t think anyone was good enough for my child,” She sighed. “Perhaps my true mistake was treating her like my baby long after she was a woman,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades broke the tense, tender moment unintentionally, placing the jar of wine down beside the two women, a row of chalices hanging off his tunic by their handles.</p><p> </p><p>“I come bearing wine!”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Hades had sent the rest of the wine to the inn, leaving it as a gift for the landlord and his small family. He had chosen the nondescript white building on a street of white buildings to keep them hidden, but now… Persephone had offered to be his wife, his queen. To hell with it all, he was going to celebrate, even if it was through the vicarious joy of the mortals.</p><p> </p><p>He’d forgotten how simple their pleasures, and how acute those pleasures were made by the fragility of their lives. He watched them in awe as they passed around his picnic with Persephone and Agatha, realising afresh with each new, warm body that passed him how many multitudes each shade held within them. Seeing their life reduced to a few paragraphs on a shade report was nothing to seeing them like <em>this.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>An old man relished a bite of a fig as if it were ambrosia. A man toiled tirelessly over the hull of a ship half-finished. A young girl, no older than fifteen, puffed out her ruddy cheeks when a customer offered her way below the asking price for a whole, fresh pollock. A poor, middle-aged woman laughed with her friends, perched on a broken pillar by the dock as they drank together. The warm, comfortable air sang with their conversations, their desires and their fears, and their simple joys.  </p><p> </p><p>Agatha thanked them for their kindness and accepted gratefully when Hades paid a boy with a cart handsomely to drive her weary body home. By now, the afternoon was waxing late, and they headed in the direction of their hotel, the sweet breeze cooling their feverish skin as each thought about what they had put on the back burner earlier that day.</p><p> </p><p>As they walked along the dirt lane that completed their circle around the island and brought them back to their hotel, they passed a house that seemed abandoned. A tangled, untended garden slowly asserted itself against the stones someone had used to mark their land. They intended to walk on by, assuming the house had been left to fall into disrepair by negligent owners, when they heard a soft, childish sob from one of the bushes.</p><p> </p><p>Hades and Persephone looked at each other in concern. The soft sob was repeated, and they walked towards the noise. Beneath the close leaves of a bush, an emaciated child sobbed into the grass. The little girl barely noticed them at first, her head tilting slowly up to take them in. The small, sweet lady didn’t seem to bother her as much as the gargantuan man at her side.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, little one,” Persephone said softly, crouching down to her level, “We heard you crying. Would you tell us what’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>The little girl eyed Hades warily, tucking herself further out of reach.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m Persa,” Persephone said softly, sitting in the dirt beside the child, “This is my husband, Aidon,” Hades still thrilled to hear the word, even if it were mostly ruse and partly ancient soul bond, “Can I tell you a secret?” The child hesitated and then nodded, “Aidon is a <em>big </em>softie,”</p><p> </p><p>The child cracked the tiniest of smiles, shaking her head as she considered Hades cautiously.</p><p> </p><p>“He is!” She whispered conspiratorially, “I promise! He’s a cry baby,”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey!” Hades said indignantly, pouting. The little girl giggled. She hesitated for a moment, before crawling out to sit at Persephone’s knee.</p><p> </p><p>“Would you like one?” Persephone asked, plucking a date from the leftovers in her basket. The child snatched it hungrily, and Persephone ate one beside her. The child was practically in her lap now. “Now, little one, can you tell me your name?”</p><p> </p><p>“Phoebe,” The little girl whispered, rubbing her tired, dirty little face with both sticky hands.</p><p> </p><p>“Phoebe! What a lovely name, don’t you think so, Aidon?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, yes! A lovely name,” He looked off into the distance, pretending to be devastated, wistful, “I wish <em>my </em>name was Phoebe,”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re silly,” The child laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“How dare you?” Hades said in mock annoyance, just making the child laugh harder. She crawled into Persephone’s lap and accepted another date.</p><p> </p><p>“Now, Miss Phoebe,” Persephone said softly, brushing the child’s tangled hair gently with her fingers, “How did you end up <em>here? </em>Where should we take you back to?”</p><p> </p><p>Phoebe became solemn again and pointed to the ramshackle cottage behind them. Hades and Persephone shared a look of confusion, standing and taking one of the little girls’ hands in each of theirs, letting her lead them.</p><p> </p><p>The door of the cottage swung open. It was dark and bare inside, and the smell of sickness was thick. Two adults lay rasping in a bed, breathing hard and barely alive. An older boy lay on a mat on the floor, perhaps fourteen, his breathing slow and strained and barely audible.</p><p> </p><p>“They got sick,” Phoebe said, “And now they won’t answer me,”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone let her refreshed powers flow out into the room, looking for life. She found two stronger pulses of it, from the mother and son, and a weaker tug from the father.</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone?” Hades asked softly, sadly, coming to look at them over her shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“I can help them,” Persephone said softly, “but I need you to take the child outside,”</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone,” He frowned, “You should not meddle with death-”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Meddle? </em>Meddle suggests that this is not where I belong,” She said, low and serious, “I am to be Queen of the Underworld, your equal, ruling at your side. Death and life, and where they meet, that’s my domain. Now let me do what I do or we’ll have to get whatever the divorce equivalent of soulbonding is,” She nudged him away. He kissed her, worry creasing his brow, but he knew she was right.</p><p> </p><p>He took little Phoebe’s hand and took her out into the garden, forming crystals in the dirt that he sent her off to find, casting one final worried look over his shoulder at his queen.</p><p> </p><p>She placed her hand over the mother’s chest, leaning into her life force, stripping away the impure parts of the light Persephone could feel inside of her. Persephone patted her chest lightly, once, and harder, once, and the woman took in a clean, strong, gasping breath. Her lifeforce revived like a fanned flame.</p><p> </p><p>Persephone moved to the son. His life force was weaker, less developed, but he was fighting. Persephone placed her hand on his chest, letting her power flow through him, strengthening his will to fight and burning away all that was toxic in his body.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, she turned to the husband. Try as she might, her power could not draw him back all the way. His life force sprung back like an over-extended elastic band, already, she realised, becoming part of Hades’s domain. She knew better than to ask him to change that. It wasn’t how things were done.</p><p> </p><p>She went to the door and called Hades and Phoebe back inside.</p><p> </p><p>“I gave them medicine, Phoebe,” Persephone explained softly, “Your mama and brother are going to wake up now,”</p><p> </p><p>“What about baba?” The little girl asked, eyes wide.</p><p> </p><p>“I have made your baba comfortable,” She brushed the child’s hair, aching that she had to say the next words, “I have taken away his pain, and he can say goodbye to you, but I’m afraid… it was too late,”</p><p> </p><p>“Phoebe?” A bleary voice whispered. The distraught little girl threw herself into her mother’s arms.</p><p> </p><p>“Mama!”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Phoebe, I’m so sorry,” The woman whispered, holding her daughter close.</p><p> </p><p>“Mama? Phoebe?” A strained young voice asked. The teenage boy was stumbling towards them in the half-light.</p><p> </p><p>“Markos! Oh, my children,” The mother gathered them to her, holding them tightly.</p><p> </p><p>“This is Aidon and Persa,” Phoebe said, “They made you better, but they say that baba is going to die,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades took Persephone’s hand, holding it tightly in his, as the woman looke up at them sorrowfully.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so sorry,” Persephone whispered, “I tried to heal him, but I was too late. He should… I gave him something, to ease the pain. He’s comfortable. You can say goodbye, at least. He will feel no pain,”</p><p> </p><p>Tears were welling in Persephone’s eyes as she watched the family slide to the floor together, kneeling by his bedside as the mother slowly shook them awake. “Sophus,” His wife whispered gently, “Sophus, we’re here,”</p><p> </p><p>His tired eyes blinked slowly open and he looked at his wife and children with sudden understanding. The sound of their sobs was too much for the two Gods to bear, and the intimacy of the last moments made them feel like intruders. Hades left two of his golden coins on the table, inscribed with his mark.</p><p> </p><p>“These are for the ferryman,” He told Phoebe who was watching them leave, “Lay your baba to rest with these, and he will be the first across the styx,”</p><p> </p><p>The two Gods left quietly after that. Persephone paused in their overrun garden.</p><p> </p><p>“Mortal women can barely make their own living,” Persephone hummed, anger at the injustice of this primitive world prickling at her fingertips, “She will need this garden,”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone knelt and threaded her fingers through the tall grass, exhaling slowly as she allowed the power to flow through her. Rows of dying crops revived themselves, trees dropped their sickly, yellow leaves and bloomed new ones of rich emerald green. Fruit and vegetables of every description began to bloom and blossom.</p><p> </p><p>She stood, happy with her work. Hades held her close and kissed her forehead. He extended a hand, a circle of blue fire surrounding a vacant patch of dirt before fading into nothingness.</p><p> </p><p>“What did you do?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I can’t just go about giving mortals gold, can I?” Her husband held her close, guiding her to the road, “leaving it for them to find, or not? That I <em>can </em>do,”</p><p> </p><p>He supported her tired, emotional weight as they walked back to the inn, and eventually carried her, much like he had on their arrival, the last few meters to the inn. She snuggled close to him, full of sadness for the family they’d left but grateful for the relief they’d been able to provide.</p><p> </p><p>Neither of the Gods, Hades carrying his Persephone to a hotel room like they were the newlyweds they seemed to be, noticed the figure tracing their progress down the road. Demeter, disguised as mortal with olive skin and black hair, just like her daughter’s persona, watched their progress carefully.</p><p> </p><p>The crone and the child, they had passed with flying colours. <em>But now, </em>Demeter thought, <em>comes the test all men are bound to fail. </em>She smiled softly to herself, beginning her own journey to the inn, her hair growing longer, her mortal curves becoming more voluptuous. <em>Now comes the final test: The Woman. </em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just one more chapter and maybe an epilogue left to go on this story! </p><p>Also, dropping the first chapter of a new story Persades tonight so keep an eye out for that!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. The End.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Demeter gives Hades a final test.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here it is angels! The last chapter of this work. This is a big moment for me, the first time I have ever been able to finish a story. It may not be perfect, but it's finished and I am so grateful to you all for your love and support. Let me know if you want a sequel, but I will be turning my attention to a new story - Something Borrowed, Something Blue - for the next little while. </p><p>Also, I don't know if this is allowed so please let me know if I'm violating any kind of community standard or anything. Here goes. I am quite poor and my boyfriend and I are trying to move into our own place because living with my family (whom I love but who are very difficult) is taking it's toll. I'm working 3 jobs at the moment to make it happen, and I'm managing, so PLEASE don't feel at all pressured, but I wondered if any of you would like access to my paypal. </p><p>Like I say, there is NO PRESSURE at all, I will never make my stories inaccessable for free unless I am raising money for charity through patreon or similar, but I thought I'd give you the option. My PayPal email is chloeannjacobs@hotmail.co.uk. Please continue enjoying my content completely for free and please don't think less of me for this. </p><p>I love you all &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The man Hades had paid to take Agatha home slowed his horses and handed the reins to his son, moving around to the back of the cart to help the old lady down. As the man and boy rode away over the crest of the hill near her farmhouse, a pale green silhouette fizzed into existence beside her. Agatha bowed her head, leaning heavily on her willow cane, avoiding the glare of the goddess before her.</p><p> </p><p>“O Goddess,” Agatha whispered, bowing as low as her old bones would let her, “I hope I have pleased you,”</p><p> </p><p>“You have, Agatha,” Demeter’s scowl betrayed her, though. The old woman had done her part, had allowed Demeter, shrouded in a powerful glamour, to see what kind of man her daughter supposedly… <em>loved</em>. What would have pleased her, though, would have been to have been proven <em>right </em>about him.</p><p> </p><p>He had been infuriatingly generous and kind and, what’s more, he had not looked at Kore with the naked, singular desire she had seen in the eyes of Zeus and Poseidon thousands of times. The look in his eyes… she could barely stand to look at it, it was too intense, too intimate. She imagined seeing their stolen glances was as close as she would ever come to feeling how the mortals felt when they beheld the half-shielded form of a God or stared unblinking into the sun. It was like she was something beautiful and dangerous, precious and awful, in the traditional sense of the word, full of <em>awe</em>. Someone he would walk the world over just to be near.</p><p> </p><p>“I will honour you and your kin as this service deserves. Show me where I may pay my debt,”</p><p> </p><p>Agatha whispered her frantic, awed thanks and lead Demeter to her vineyard. The plants were withered, the earth dry and cracked. Demeter wrinkled her nose, the taste of rot and decay thick at the back of her throat.</p><p> </p><p>“What happened here, Agatha?” Demeter knelt to thumb the withered leaves of one of the plants.</p><p> </p><p>“I am old, goddess,” Agatha sighed, her eyes still glued to the ground to avoid the painful heat of Demeter’s glowing skin. “This is a family business, and I have no family left,” Her voice was thick with emotion. “I am too old, too weak, to do it alone. None will buy barren land for enough money to sustain me, so I remain,”</p><p> </p><p>Demeter pressed her hands to the ground, seeking out the waning source of life. Kore was better at the blooming and blossoming, Demeter knew, but the goddess of the harvest knew her daughters chaotic design needed a firm grip. Demeter favoured flora with <em>purpose, </em>sensible crops that would grow heavy with fruit to sustain and feed, not the frivolousness of growth for growth’s sake. Tall, orderly rows of vines almost ready to be cut from the body of the plant? That, Demeter could do perfectly.</p><p> </p><p>“Where is your family, Agatha?” The green goddess asked as the ground began to hum, the pale, brown earth, rock hard and dehydrated, began to turn black and rich with moisture and life. Agatha watched the soil change beneath her feet, awed tears blooming in her eyes. She would not tempt the goddess’s rage with silence.</p><p> </p><p>“My husband is dead, goddess,” She answered softly, “My son is a soldier across the sea. I have not seen him in three years,” Agatha let out a soft, sad sigh, “My daughter… you heard what I told Persa. She loved a man, I disapproved, and she left. She has been gone a year now,”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Agatha,” Demeter said with a barely concealed edge of fury, “I heard what you told the girl, but I could not believe that your <em>child, </em>who you gave life and nourishment and protection, would abandon you in your dotage for some…” Demeter scowled, the vines straightening and lengthening, growing green again, “<em>man,” </em></p><p> </p><p>Agatha let out a humourless chuckle, “I thought much like that, before she left. She was <em>my </em>child and she had been raised to be my comfort and my support as I grew older,” Agatha used her cane to toy with the damp soil, “It was only after she had been gone for some months that I began to realise… she was my daughter but she was not <em>mine. </em>She was not <em>his </em>either – I spent a long time enraged with him for stealing her,” Agatha shook her head, “She was her <em>own. </em>She was simply finding her own happiness. How could I hoard her, hoard her youth and light, when I had been allowed to live and love? I was not truly afraid that she would be hurt in the world… well, no more than any parent is. I was scared she would like it and she would never return to me,” Agatha sighed, tears dripping down her downturned face, “So, I held her tighter, and she left and never returned anyway,”</p><p> </p><p>Demeter would never let the mortal know but tears were falling down her own face. The vine she was working on, the vine who’s soil she had watered with her tears, would go on to grow robust, the fruit a metallic, otherworldly gold, within a few days. The wine they produced would be the most delicious in the region and would have potent medicinal powers; the plant had been watered and blessed with the tears of a goddess. Her work done, Demeter rose.</p><p> </p><p>“You are a wise woman, Agatha,” Demeter said softly, pressing a kiss to the lined skin of her forehead. Agatha gasped as the pain in the arch of her back melted away, the touch of immortal flesh absorbing a measure of the ills of age that plagued her.</p><p> </p><p>There was a rush of wind and Agatha looked up, finding herself alone in a lush, verdant vineyard. She sank to her knees and prayed her thanks to the all-mother.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p>Hades held Persephone as she wept for the mortal man and his family. She clung to him, lying on his chest, soaking his clothing through with hot tears. Outside, the sun was setting, turning the edge of the window frame glowing gold and pink.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, my love,” He kissed her forehead, gathering her close to him, “It’s okay, sweetness, you did everything you could,”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, I know,” Persephone whispered on a shuddering exhale, “Their lives are just so… fragile, and yet they fight <em>so </em>hard,” She shook her head, “You should have felt him, trying to hold on. It was horrible,”</p><p> </p><p>“I did, sweetness,” He whispered, “God of Death, remember? I think we felt the same thing from different sides,” He sighed shakily, “Like someone is clinging onto a hand, hanging over an abyss,”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s my hand,” Persephone swallowed thickly, “It feels like one of the hands they’re holding is mine. They need me so desperately to hold them, but I can’t. I can’t sometimes,”</p><p> </p><p>“Sweetness, it’s not your fault,” Hades brushed her cheek with his thumb, “Of course it’s not your fault. They are mortal, they all die eventually, and you are a goddess of fertility and life. Some Gods ensure that their lives in this realm of good; I… <em>we</em> will take care of them in our realm, you and I, side by side… i-if that is still what you want,” His voice faltered as he realised, she was seeing the reality of mortal death for the first time, seeing what it meant and how it hurt. Would she still want to be queen of the very realm that had made her weep like this?</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, it is,” She leaned back to look at him with brimming eyes, “Hades, please, I can’t… I can’t have you doubt me like this every time I get sad or worried or… or-,”</p><p> </p><p>“No, sweetness, no,” Hades soothed, “I’m sorry. I just… I’m still getting used to this,” He took her hand, “I just don’t want you to regret this… me… us. Death is what I do, and I don’t want it to take its toll on you,”</p><p> </p><p>“Caring about mortals would make me a better queen,” She leaned up on her elbow to look down on him. He lay beneath her, looking so beautiful and worried, tugging at his bottom lip with his teeth; he was so perfect she could cry. “Don’t you see that? The mortals are what make us <em>real</em>, their whole lives… or, for us, their deaths, their afterlives, are utterly in our hands. That is an incredible responsibility. What kind of ruler would I be if I didn’t care?”</p><p> </p><p>He kissed her hotly, burying his hand in her hair. “You are perfection,” He whispered, “I confess I have been guilty of forgetting. Being here, being with you, it has been a wake-up call for me. I have never been a bad ruler, never neglectful or chaotic, but,” He silenced her emphatic agreement with one, thick, blue finger. “I have also not shown the mortals kindness, only decency. I have… I think I have resented them for hating me, for fearing me, and so I kept them at arms’ length. But I… we,” He squeezed her hand, “We can change that,”</p><p> </p><p>She kissed him softly, brushing her hand through his hair. She liked this, making plans with him, affecting change, getting a taste of what it would be like, loving and ruling together for centuries to come. Her heart ached for that future, for the continuation of this present. But she had dodged a question, dodged the pull of truth from within her. Earlier, with Agatha, with the child, she had found the trick to lying on truth serum, to tell <em>just </em>enough of the truth that some little half lies slid through.</p><p> </p><p><em>This is Aidon, </em>she had said, easily, smoothly, deciding in that moment that she had shortened Aidoneus into a nickname. <em>This is Persa, </em>he had said, tacking on the <em>phone </em>in his head. <em>My godmother, </em>she’d smirked a little at that; Hera <em>was</em> a <em>god </em>and a <em>mother. </em></p><p> </p><p>But this… she could find a way around it, maybe, but there was no guarantee. What’s more, she didn’t want to lie to him. She wanted to be his for eternity and the desire to hide her shame, to be thought perfect by him, felt more childish with every tender admission they shared. She didn’t love him because he was perfect; she owed him the same opportunity.</p><p> </p><p>“I need to tell you,” Persphone sat up in bed, leaning against the wall and encouraging him up with her, “how I got my new name,”</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Demeter materialised in the small, dishevelled family home. She’d sensed the withering of life here, and she knew, if she played her cards right, her daughter and her lover would have to pass this way. She laid a hand on the son’s clammy forehead, feeling the sticky ache of disease within him. He had a little time left, she could feel it thrumming in his pulse, the fight hadn’t left him yet. The mother was the same, but the father…</p><p> </p><p>She could feel another spirit thrumming in the room, a small, robust one, frantic as a hummingbird. Demeter scanned the dank room and spotted her, curled up beside the cold hearth. She was tiny and ragged and emaciated, but so very much alive. She needed help, though, she wouldn’t last much longer on her own.</p><p> </p><p>Hades was the God of the Underworld, and rumours of his ruthless, uncaring devotion to populating his dark realm had swirled for as long as Demeter could remember. He may love her daughter, but his thirst for power and souls would be undeniable here. He would allow this <em>entire, </em>partially salvageable mortal family perish, uncaring and cold, because that was his nature and his purpose. Persephone had seen death, had <em>caused </em>death when she razed that village, and it had haunted her ever since; how could she live with, love, the embodiment of it? Who Hades truly was. She would make Persephone <em>see</em>, even if the girl wouldn’t <em>listen</em> to reason.</p><p> </p><p>Demeter gently scooped the child up in her arms, remembering when Persephone had been this small, a little pink creature that clung to her like this mortal child. She tightened her fist as she carried the girl outside, encouraging three trees to fall across the other paths that Persephone and Hades might take. She knelt beside a bush at the edge of the family’s pitiful farm, laying the exhausted child on the withered grass.</p><p> </p><p>She tugged her glamour around herself like a shroud, hearing a familiar, sweet voice ring out across the field.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p>Hades smiled weakly in appreciation as the innkeeper refilled his chalice. He ran a hand through his hair, tightening his fist in frustration. How had they gone from declarations of love and kisses that made his skin feel like it was on fire to… this?</p><p> </p><p>She was in their room alone. He was drowning his sorrows with his once-celebratory wine, sitting out on the veranda of their hotel. The night was warm and not terribly dark, the sky stained rich purple and blue, and he wished she was with him. It was remarkable how quickly he’d become addicted to her touch. A week ago, he’d been thrilled with the softest touch of her hand, but now… he was unabashedly greedy for her. He was enthralled by the scent of her, the feel of her silky skin under his large, rough hands…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Not the time, Hades. Get a grip. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She’d told him… about her act of wrath. About the mortals she had slaughtered, about the souls that Demeter had kept hidden from him, about the exquisite satisfaction of the rage that had coursed through her. She told him about the guilt too, the crushing guilt, of all of those souls trapped until Hermes could secret all of them into his domain, of the lives cut off cruelly and without warning or mercy. Of all of the souls languishing on the beach because no-one had given their relatives notice to cover their eyes with coins. Because, she had realised with growing horror, most of their relatives had died by their side, had died in terror and pain at her hands.</p><p> </p><p>She’d told him of their true first meeting, when she’d snuck in through his window, beautiful and barely clothed, begging him to help her bring the souls back.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“You didn’t remember me when we met again, too drunk I guess,” She laughed weakly, rubbing the tears from her eyes roughly with her forearm. “I didn’t… I didn’t know the handsome stranger from that night would… would become my…” She reached out for his hand, but he pulled away from her, standing to pace the small room. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The barrage of news had left him a little winded, but his mind was quick to think the worst of her. The worst of himself. <em>You see, </em>whispered the dark voice he’d managed to supress in this realm, <em>you knew it was too good to be true. Now you have your reason. She is using you to retrieve the souls she murdered, here to ease her conscience. What if she was never on truth serum at all? What if she just used it to convince your weak-willed heart that she had to be telling the truth? It isn’t hard to fake vomiting, you old fool…</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>He clenched his fist, trying to shake the thoughts away as he drained his cup. <em>That’s not true, </em>a smaller, younger, less assertive voice whispered back, <em>why are you so determined to be unhappy? You </em>hurt <em>her, too.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“I…” He muttered, his insides squirming uncomfortably, the oxygen he took in seeming to bypass his lungs. </em>I need to be alone. I need to be alone, right now. <em>“I… I need some time… I need to b-b-be alone,” </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>He didn’t think he would ever forget the way her face crumbled, her eyes welling with tears as she begged him to stay. Her voice had been full of hurt and confusion and she’d tried to touch him, but he’d brushed her away. He <em>never </em>thought he would ever reject her touch, and gods knew he was aching for it now. The creeping pressure of a panic attack had been crushing his chest and he needed to be <em>anywhere </em>but there.</p><p> </p><p>Hades buried his face in his hands. He’d utterly fucked everything up, and he hadn’t even let her <em>say anything. </em>All of the ways he thought this might end, he <em>never </em>thought he’d be the one to walk away. He drained his cup, and decided he would stop being a coward. He would return to their room and beg her forgiveness and… actually let her talk this time. Gods, he was an asshole.</p><p> </p><p>“Trouble in paradise?” A smooth, sultry voice asked from behind him. He turned to see a mature, dark-haired mortal standing in the doorway in a <em>very </em>short himation, leaning one of her curvaceous hips against the frame. One of the servant girls employed by the inn, he guessed. They all did their hair the same way, like a uniform, and wore simple, white cloth, where the clientele tended to be more garish. The neckline and hem on her dress, though, were not standard issue.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, hello,” Hades blushed at the intent look in her eye, “I do not mean to be rude, but I would prefer to be alone,”</p><p> </p><p>“Alone?” The lady pouted seductively, moving to sit on the bench beside him. “Everyone needs company, honey,” She leaned towards him, her ample breasts on full display. She slid her hand over his knee, sliding up to creep under the hem of his tunic. Her warm hand on his inner thigh startled him and he slid down the bench, away from the strange woman. </p><p> </p><p>“I-I-I assure you I am flattered,” Gods, he wished he wasn’t so awkward, “But I am not interested. I h-h-have a… I’m with someone,”</p><p> </p><p>She shrugged, scooting along the bench to invade the skittish man’s space. “So? What they don’t know won’t hurt them?” She leaned toward him, biting her plump lip. “You don’t want me? I’m so bored, you’re the first new man around here for <em>ages,</em>” she whined.</p><p> </p><p>“Please-”</p><p> </p><p>“I thought you’d never ask,” The wanton woman laughed, climbing into his lap. She grabbed his face and leaned in to kiss him. He complained against her mouth, struggling in her grip. He didn’t want to hurt her fragile, mortal form by pushing her off, but her grip was unrelenting. The meaningless satisfaction that the friction of a strange woman’s body afforded was no longer remotely appealing to him. Whether Persephone truly loved him or not, for better or worse, he was utterly in her thrall. She had ruined him for anyone else.</p><p> </p><p>“Please, just-” He pushed the woman away from him as she rocked her hips.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on, baby,” She purred, “You know you want to,” She kissed his neck.</p><p>He picked her up by the elbows and lifted her squirming body off of his lap. He placed her down as she fought to be free, and her momentum knocked her over. She landed on her ass with a thud.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, but you just wouldn’t…” Hades gestured helplessly, “and m-m-my wife is <em>terrifying</em>, I would not wish to be you if she discovered you in my lap!” He chuckled despite himself, remembering with a bolt of pride and arousal just how fearsome she was.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s right, you know,” Persephone’s voice came from behind him. Her voice was thick with emotion, and her face was wet. She had obviously been crying and his heart broke at the sight of her; rumpled clothes, red eyes, mussed hair, pained and uncertain eyes. She seemed to be holding herself back, fighting the same urge he felt to touch the other.</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone,” He breathed, wishing the intruding mortal a million miles away so that he could tell his queen how sorry he was for leaving like that. Instead, he said, “I-I-It’s not what it looks like,”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Persephone nodded, looking at the woman on the ground in front of them, “I saw. Now, if there’s one thing I <em>really </em>hate,” Persephone gritted her teeth, in the worst mood to be trifled with, “it’s people who don’t respect consent” Her mortal glamour flickered as a vine crept from the ground and towards the woman.</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone-” Hades began, but he was cut off by a familiar voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Kore-cob, please,” the mortal woman said as the glamour faded.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Mama?”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>**</p><p>
  <strong>(A/N: for Captain_Riley, who was worried about our precious mutts)</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Hecate <em>had</em> been enjoying her day off when her flute had let out three melodic notes.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Feed. Dogs. Please. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She scoffed. She knew well enough that Cerberus could go off and forage for the rest of them, and had no doubt been doing so since shit had hit the fan, but she also knew that Hades was a ridiculously dedicated dog dad and spoiled them rotten. She guessed she should be pleased that he’d asked; it was a sign that he was no longer in the state of single-minded panic he’d been in since Persephone had disappeared. She weighed up the inconvenience of doing what he asked versus the overprotective meltdown he’d have once he was back if she <em>didn’t</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Much easier to just feed the dogs. Hades was incredibly petty and persistent, in tiny, <em>almost </em>harmless ways. She remembered the time she’d parked in his spot by mistake, and he’d filled her stapler with bent staplers. She’d gone to the stationary cupboard to get a new one, filled it with fresh staples, and by the time she’d gotten back from lunch they were all bent again. She had to deal with loose-leaf papers for three days until he’d decided to forgive her.</p><p> </p><p>She shrugged on her leather jacket and drove over to Hades’s place, stopping briefly to get a black coffee and brownie from Satyrbucks. The dogs clamoured when she opened the door with her key, barking as they jumped up at her. Fudge tried to snatch the last bite of her brownie, and Hecate glared at the dog over the brims of her sunglasses.</p><p> </p><p>“Guys, chill,” She rolled her eyes, setting her keys and coffee down in the kitchen, “You and your daddy have a co-dependant relationship, don’t you? Yes, you do!” She said in a cutesy baby voice, opening the cabinet of dog food in the pantry. Each dog had their own monogrammed bowl and matching tub of food, complete with dinky silver scoops hanging from the handle of each. “Oh, jeez, it’s gotten so much worse. Daddy has been filling the void inside with dogs and organisational systems, hasn’t he? Yes, he has!”</p><p> </p><p>Hecate scooped a portion of food into each bowl and laid them out in lines on the kitchen floor. Less orderly lines than Hades usually did, she was sure, but lines nonetheless. He’d bored her to tears the last time they’d road-tripped to a conference on Olympus explaining how important it was to have a clear system for feeding, and a training word that cued the dogs to eat, so they didn’t cause mayhem. That had been the longest two hours of her life.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, mutts,” Hecate announced, quirking an amused eyebrow as each dog lined up behind their bowls, “YUM!”</p><p> </p><p>The dogs buried their faces in their bowls, scarfing down their food as quickly as they could. Hecate could see now why Hades had given them each one of those maze bowls that made it harder for them to eat all of their food all at once… she shook her head, disgusted at the amount of animal husbandry information she’d retained from Hades.</p><p> </p><p>After she washed up the bowls and let the dogs out for a run, she decided to make use of Hades’s stupidly huge, and criminally underused, TV and his impressive assortment of snacks. It made her a little sad, actually, when she thought about how stocked and empty his home was. Like an absurdly personalised showhome. Always prepared for guests, stocked for a partner or even a family, and yet so utterly vacant. She’d been to parties, dinners, afternoon drinks, 9am G&amp;Ts (with Hera), at almost every other God’s house but not her boss’s.</p><p> </p><p>She grinned, thinking about what hell that pink whirlwind was going to rage in his life and his home. She was going to make it bright, and beautiful, and she was going to draw him out and break down his walls and love him to within an inch of his immortal life. That was, she frowned, if he wasn’t an idiot about it. She pulled the flute out of her jacket pocket, feeling like a big nerd, as she did every time she used this thing.</p><p> </p><p><em>Dogs fed. </em>She played, and left a pause, <em>how are you both? </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>She had to wait a while for a response, but luckily Hades’s couch was incredibly comfortable and he had all the episodes of <em>The Great Olympus Bake Off </em>recorded.</p><p> </p><p>“Heh, amateur,” Hecate heckled as a gorgon took his cake out of the oven way too early, “It’s gonna fall, you idiot,” She took a swig of the beer she’d snagged from Hades’s fridge, finding herself even enjoying the clingy little body of Pomelia curled up in her lap, “Atraxis, you’d better not be putting unsifted almond flour into that macaron batter! You’re gonna knock all the godsdamned air out!”</p><p> </p><p>The flute hummed as she yelled at the TV.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Bad but okay. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Demeter kissed me. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Long story. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Need your help though. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>What the </em>fuck? Yep, he’d been an idiot. Hecate rolled her eyes and listened for the notes that followed, wondering how he’d managed to make such a mess.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Kore’s head span. In the past week she had been dosed with truth serum, found out that her boss/crush/King of the Underworld/The Unseen One etc. etc. was in love with her, been kidnapped by her overbearing mother, pulled the sun out of the sky, escaped to the mortal realm, had her first big fight with aforementioned boss/crush/king/soulbond/husband etc. etc. and found him being assaulted by a wanton mortal who turned out to be the aforementioned overbearing mother in a ridiculously short dress.</p><p> </p><p>In short, Persephone needed a sit down.</p><p> </p><p>She collapsed on to the bench, her glamour flickering and fading as all energy left her body. Her pink skin reasserted itself in full force, but her glow was faded. Hades sat beside her, cradling her against his side and supporting her weight. She didn’t pull away from him, that he was endlessly grateful for.</p><p> </p><p>“Sweetness, are you okay?” he kissed her clammy forehead, removing his glamour so that she could see his true face.</p><p> </p><p>“Not really,” She chuckled weakly.</p><p> </p><p>“Kore, I-”</p><p> </p><p>“Mother,” Kore said curtly, “After all you’ve done, I think you can wait a moment to speak. I believe Aidoneus was just about to apologise to me,”</p><p> </p><p>Demeter looked between them with shock and… a faint air of amusement which neither of the other two noticed, too wrapped up in each other.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. Yes, absolutely, yes,” Hades stammered out, “Persephone, I… I am so sorry. I was having an anxiety attack and I… I’ve never really <em>done </em>that in front of anyone before and I was just so scared of letting you see me vulnerable like that,”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, that’s stupid,” Persephone huffed, “I break down in front of you every five seconds. Why is my vulnerability public property but yours isn’t?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, Persephone, it’s unfair and I promise I will work on it,” He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, ah, ah,” She pulled her hand away but let him keep his arm around her waist, “What set you off in the first place? I thought…” She looked down at her lap, “I thought you were… disgusted with me. Because of what I did to those mortals. I thought you hated me,” Persephone felt fresh tears sting her red eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“You <em>told </em>him?” Demeter gasped. Persephone shot her a sharp look, “Yes, sorry, kissed your boyfriend. I’ll wait my turn,”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” Hades rubbed the back of his neck, “No, my love. I would never think less of you for a loss of control, especially when you are so kind and obviously remorseful. Hera has levelled mortal cities because her husband can’t keep his dick in his pants. Of course I don’t think less of you.” He kissed her forehead, “I… I thought that maybe you… were only, you know, doing this, because you were trying to get their souls back, trying to right your wrong” He picked at his tunic, “A noble cause, but one that thought ill of you and your love. I’m sorry, Persephone,”</p><p> </p><p>“You are such an idiot,” She sighed, “I already had an internship at the place. Hermes has a <em>very </em>unreciprocated crush on me. I could have tried to fudge the books myself. I could have bribed Hermes with sexual favours to take the souls back,” She scowled at him, enjoying the flicker of jealousy in his eyes when she suggested bribing Hermes, “Gods, maybe I considered trying to fix it, perhaps it was in mind in the first hour of my first day. But then, I saw how it worked, how you worked, to make sure it was fair, how much careful planning I would destroy if I tried to clear my conscience. The rules of nature I would contravene,” She took his hand, “So, instead, I decided to be the best intern you’d ever had. I strived to do my part to make sure those souls would be judged and at peace as soon as I could. The only thing I… I ever did behind your back was take drachma to the beach for those who didn’t have the ferryman’s fee,”</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone-” He began in a reproving tone.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, <em>so </em>not the time to lecture me on the protocols of the Underworld, pal,” She arched an eyebrow and he had the grace to look chastened, “We’re going to make some changes when I’m queen, you know,”</p><p> </p><p>He grinned at that, holding her tightly. “I’m sorry for letting my insecurity overwhelm everything we’ve begun to build. I will talk to you next time, I promise,” He pressed his forehead to hers, “I’m also sorry for kissing your mom <em>but </em>in my defence, I didn’t kiss her back, she was in disguise, and I didn’t want to even before I knew it was your mom,”  </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, on to that,” Persephone turned gravely to her mother, “Why did you assault Aidoneus?”</p><p> </p><p>Demeter tittered, “I hardly <em>assaulted </em>him-”</p><p> </p><p>“You kissed him without his consent. You would not remove yourself from his lap even when he asked you. Don’t try to talk around this <em>mother, </em>what were you doing?”</p><p> </p><p>Demeter took a deep breath.</p><p> </p><p>“I have to… begrudgingly offer my blessing over this union,”</p><p> </p><p>“W-what?” Persephone stammered, looking at Hades with wide, blank eyes. None of this was adding up and she felt like did that one time she got high with Amphitrite; wobbly and confused and actually quite peckish?</p><p> </p><p>“I know you do not… need my blessing,” Demeter ground out, “but I made a deal with Hera. She… s-she told me what that piece of <em>shit </em>sun god did to you and, Gods, Persephone, I wanted to go to the hospital and finish the job,” Demeter seethed, her fingernails digging hard enough into her palms that she drew ichor. “But Hera stopped me. She said… well, she said a lot of things, but she said I was going to lose you forever if I kept this up. Kept making decisions myself that were rightfully… yours to make. She actually <em>forbade </em>me, in full queenly authority, from ever taking you somewhere without your consent again,”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I kind of wish a royal decree wasn’t required for that one,” Persephone said curtly.</p><p> </p><p>“I deserved that,” Demeter bowed her head, “Hera suggested I test you in some way,” She gestured at Hades, “She knew I would never believe you were as good and… kind as I now know you are. You are a noble man, Hades, and I am… sorry that I misjudged you,”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone definitely felt high now. Gods, was her mother <em>apologising? </em>Approving of her <em>union </em>with the King of the Dead? Persephone was sitting down and yet, she still felt like she needed to sit down. Parental approval, it turns out, is trippy as hell. Trippier than any psychedelic algae the Queen of the Sea could ever hope to smoke.</p><p> </p><p>“You were good and just and kind to all manner of women, and you honoured my child,” She said begrudgingly, “I was sure I would find the misogynist in you, the… Zeus in you, if I tried hard enough. You were generous to a mortal crone, a starving child… you even apologised for pushing the woman who… assaulted you,” Hades inclined his head, accepting her admission of what she’d done, “I thought for certain you would enter that poor family’s rooms hungry for souls, indifferent to their suffering, but at your worst you merely wanted to… follow the rules,” Demeter tilted her head towards her daughter, “How were you to know one of the most powerful Goddesses of the Pantheon would step in?”</p><p> </p><p>“She always does,” Hades smiled down at his wife, “She’s annoyingly good at most things,” Demeter smiled hesitantly at him, “Except being tall. She’s really bad at that,”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up!” Persephone barked out an involuntary laughed, nudging him. <em>Not the time, </em>she thought, <em>I’m trying to be mad at her, and you. </em>She finally met her mother’s eyes, melting the steel in her gaze just a little, “So, you have been following us this whole time?”</p><p> </p><p>“I was desperate, I was looking for you everywhere,” Demeter looked like she was aching to hold her daughter, “and then there was this little flicker of power, here, the fourth morning you were missing. So tiny, but I had to try, so I followed you here,”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone put her head in her hands for a moment. <em>The mint. </em>Stupid vanity. “And set Hades a series of tasks to prove he was <em>worthy,” </em></p><p> </p><p>Demeter looked at least a tiny bit remorseful. “If it’s any consolation, I <em>really </em>wanted to hate you,” She told Hades, “but I couldn’t,”</p><p> </p><p>“Very comforting, thanks,” Hades grimaced.</p><p> </p><p>“Mama, I’m very tired, so I am going to go to bed now and tomorrow I will be returning home, to the <em>Underworld</em>,” She said firmly, “but I have one word of advice, next time you want to know something about me and my life?” Demeter nodded, “Ask. Me.”</p><p> </p><p>She turned and walked back towards their room, stitching her glamour back together. She didn’t look back. Hades and Demeter were left standing in an awkward silence. Hades rubbed the back of his neck nervously, itching to follow his wife inside but trying his damndest not to tarnish his mother-in-law’s newly positive opinion of him.</p><p> </p><p>“Sooo…” He said, intelligently.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?” Demeter asked, tears brimming in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“For kidnapping her and stalking her? Yeah, probably, given time and space,” Hades said with a shrug, “For kissing me? Probably not. She’s very jealous,” He waited a beat before cracking a tentative smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Goodnight Hades,”</p><p> </p><p>“Goodnight,”</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Hades and Persephone walked back through the portal into Tower One together. They were holding hands, yes, but Hades felt the distance between them. Persephone had been quiet since he’d returned to their hotel room the night before. Not unkind or angry, just cold. Distant. He wished she would scream at him, yell at him, tell him in detail all he’d done wrong. He would prefer anything over her silence and distance.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Hecate had followed Hades’s instructions to the letter. Fresh clothes for them both in his office, and two small, black boxes – one rectangular and one square in his left desk drawer. The rectangle contained two small phials of the truth serum antidote, nestled in black foam, and glittering like golden oil in water. The other box…</p><p> </p><p>He’d made the stone himself a while before, but Hecate had had Hephaestus set it in a simple silver band. He’d told her where to find it, hummed a few notes on the flute while Persephone slept, and Hecate had done the rest. She deserved a raise, Hades knew, and he was certain she’d ask for one now that he’d interrupted her day off to feed his dogs.</p><p> </p><p>He unlocked his office door, holding it open for her. She entered without a word and he wanted to scream, to shake her, to beg her not to leave. He handed Persephone her pile of clothes from the desk, instead, and watched her walk into his adjoining bathroom with dismay. He quickly dressed, throwing on a familiar white button-up, black slacks, and black suit jacket. He covertly tucked the two black boxes in his jacket pocket.</p><p> </p><p>He hesitated for a moment and then opened his desk drawer to find a pair of charcoal suspenders he’d stuffed in his drawer once when Minthe had wrinkled her nose and insisted he ditch them before taking her out to dinner. He slipped off his jacket and hastily clipped them on. He also picked up his glasses, waiting on his desk in their case, and ran a nervous hand through his hair. He hoped the suspenders and glasses weren’t too transparent; she’d let slip on that first, blissful day, lying naked in his arms, that she found him really sexy when he wore them. He’d blushed darkly and stammered out his thanks.</p><p> </p><p>He wasn’t going to let that moment, and every other moment he’d shared with her, become a bittersweet memory. He’d been an idiot and, sure, he had apologised, but the circumstances were… less than ideal. He’d assure her that he thought no less of her for her act of wrath, listen to anything and everything she wanted to say, and calmly, rationally ask her to forgive him.</p><p> </p><p>Persephone emerged from his bathroom, dressed in a comfy, grey sweater dress, black wool tights, and little ballet flats, hair a little damp from the quick shower she’d had. Hades wished he’d had the chance, too. Mortal bathing left a lot to be desired, and he was grateful to be back in a realm with modern indoor plumbing. She didn’t look at him, tugging awkwardly at the hem of her dress.</p><p> </p><p><em>Shall we go? </em>He’d intended to say, but what came out was, “Please don’t leave me,”</p><p> </p><p>“W-what?” Persephone finally met his gaze with wide, startled eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I…” He walked towards her, “You’ve just… you have been so distant since… and I know we didn’t get to talk properly because I ran away like a <em>fool…” </em>He took her small hand in his, looking at her with desperate eyes. He was sure he looked like a lunatic right now, but he couldn’t care less. “Tell me off. Say anything. I’ll fix it, I promise, I’ll be better. Just please… don’t leave me,”</p><p>
  
</p><p>“You shouldn’t have left, no, but you were having an anxiety attack. I get it. They’re not known for encouraging rational thought. Trust me, I know,” She said with a sad bitterness. “I just… I can’t believe you thought I would <em>use </em>you like that. That’s what’s been running around my head all night,” She looked up at him gravely, “Is that <em>truly </em>what you think of me? Will you run to that conclusion every time we have a fight? I told you something that has <em>haunted </em>me, I trusted you, and you…” She shook her head, tears brimming. “I did something terrible and I told you and you abandoned me,”</p><p> </p><p>“I am so sorry, sweetness,” Hades clutched her hand for dear life, “I was selfish and anxious and warped. I know you. I know better. I should have trusted <em>you,</em> not the anxious voice in my head,” He kissed her forehead, “I can’t promise to fix it in an instant. It will take time. I’ve got a lot going on up here,” He tapped his temple, “But I promise you two things; first, I will treat you with the respect you deserve as my partner, which means I will <em>communicate </em>with you instead of running away. Second,” He tentatively slipped his arms around her waist and she didn’t pull away, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I’ll bring my trust issues up with my therapist in our next session. Deal?”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone bit her lip, “Okay,” She breathed softly, letting herself smile just a little.</p><p> </p><p>“I told you I would strive, every day, to be a man worthy of your love,” He whispered, “I meant it. I’m sorry I behaved in an unworthy way last night,” He tightened his arms around her, “For what it’s worth, now, far too late, I meant what I said in front of your mother. I know you. I saw how you wept for one mortal man. I saw you on the beach, risking everything to just help a few souls cross. I saw your kindness to Agatha and that child, and so many others. Your mother might have been testing <em>me</em>, but she also unthinkingly trialled your compassion and kindness and found them <em>off the charts </em>by Olympus’s standards and-”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” She smiled properly this time, putting her little hand over his mouth, “You’re forgiven. Now, let’s go home. I need to see my mutts,”</p><p> </p><p>The smile that crossed Hades’s face was brilliant; pure joy, pure happiness. <em>So, </em>he thought, <em>this is what communication feels like. I’m a fan. </em>“As you wish, my queen,”</p><p> </p><p>                                                            ***</p><p>The dogs were beside themselves when Hades and Persephone returned. They swarmed, yipping and jumping in a way that Hades would normally never tolerate, but he’d missed them too so he decided to allow it.</p><p> </p><p>“My babies!” Persephone cooed, kneeling to dole out cuddles and pats. Hades knelt beside her, doling out his own affection; Cerberus’s enormous back leg kicked spasmodically as Hades scratched behind his ear, and Fudge rose up on her hind legs, paws against his chest, to lick his face. He looked over at Persephone, rubbing Pomelia’s tiny nose against her own and patting Big John’s floofy belly with her other hand. Cordon Bleu, unused to being so thoroughly abandoned, seemed to be torn between punishing them with disdain and giving in to clinginess. Persephone narrowed her eyes at him playfully, setting Pomelia down as she challenged him, patting her knee. “Come on, tough guy, I know you want pats too,”</p><p> </p><p>Cordon Bleu hesitated for a moment before trotting regally to Persephone’s knee and allowing his soft fur to be patted precisely three times before he became growly and standoffish. Persephone laughed in delight, “I’ve made a breakthrough,”</p><p> </p><p>Gods, she was perfection. He looked at her with sheer adoration. She was achingly beautiful and sweet and intelligent and sexy as all hell and she’d turned <em>Cordon Bleu </em>into a lapdog and her little, surprised laugh was one of the most gorgeous sounds in the cosmos…</p><p> </p><p>“Will you marry me?” Hades said, almost entirely by accident. He was going to wait, find the perfect time, take her for dinner, make it <em>painfully </em>romantic, make it <em>special. </em>She didn’t deserve to be proposed to in a <em>hallway </em>surrounded by dogs after a week-long <em>ordeal. </em>He groaned softly; <em>yep, should have</em> <em>taken that antidote as soon as I got it. Godsdamn truth spell. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“W-what?” Persephone was staring at him with wide eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so sorry Persephone, it just came out. I-I was going to do it properly but-”</p><p> </p><p>“Truth spell,” She whispered, an unreadable expression on her face.</p><p> </p><p>“Truth spell,” He agreed, “I know we’re already… well, we think we might be <em>bonded. </em>But I wanted to do it properly, make it special, make it romantic,” He sighed, “Any chance you could forget I just said that? Wait until I can do something special for you?” He hated the desperation in his voice, but he couldn’t help it. He was doing one dumb thing after another and he wondered how many more it would take for her to come to her senses.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you talking about?” She said, her voice thick with emotion, “What part of this isn’t special? Or romantic?” She turned, still on her knees, to hold his face in her hands. “I’m home, with you. This is the perfect place, this is my sanctuary,” She smiled, tears threatening to fall, “ask me again. Ask me right, no self-doubt. Sit,” The dogs sat around them obediently, looking from one to the other with curious little eyes. Hades turned on his knees to look deep in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Persephone, you are the most extraordinary goddess I have ever met,” He whispered, his own emotion threatening to overcome him, “You are my best friend and my confidant. You challenge me and excite me; you fill my home with light and peace and laughter. You love my dogs with almost the same unhealthy fervour I do,” They laughed  at that, holding tightly to each other’s hands, “I want to spend my life at your side, because you are my soulmate and my equal, my balance and my love,” He took a deep breath, retrieving the square box from his pocket. “Would you honour me, goddess, by becoming my wife?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” She breathed, leaning forward to kiss him hungrily. He groaned into her mouth, unable to fathom the life he had found himself living. “Yes, of course I will,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades opened the box. Nestled inside was a natural black diamond, mottled grey, like smoke trapped inside glass, set into a simple silver band. “I found the stone in my hand,” He said softly, slipping the ring on to her finger, “When I dropped you off at home, that first day, the morning after the Pantheon,” He smiled ruefully, “I kept it nearby, always, feeling, somehow, that it was important. That it symbolised something,” He stood, holding out his hand for hers.</p><p> </p><p>“Those damn fates,” She laughed, “It feels like we have always been heading here,”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t resent the inevitability, do you?” He asked softly, brushing his thumb over her hand. “I want you to marry me because you want to, not because we’re fated in some way,”</p><p> </p><p>“How about I marry you because I want to <em>and </em>because we’re fated to be together?” She arched a brow, “Doesn’t seem like terrible reasoning to me,”</p><p> </p><p>“Agreed,” He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her chastely on the lips.</p><p> </p><p>She wrapped her arms around his neck, though, deepening their kiss. Her little tongue slid against his, making him groan, a bolt of arousal spiking through his body. He backed her up against the wall of the hallway, pressing his growing hardness into her as he kissed her hungrily, pulling her thigh up over her hip and making her little dress ride up.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, Hades,” She murmured as he moved to kiss her neck.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, little goddess?” He murmured distractedly, laving her skin with wet, open-mouthed kisses.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Gods, that feels so…” She whined, pushing ineffectually at his shoulder, “Hades,”</p><p> </p><p>He looked up lazily, following her gaze down to the sets of blinking, obedient eyes and expectant, fluffy faces staring up at them. He dropped his forehead against her shoulder with a rueful chuckle, “whoops,”</p><p> </p><p>She giggled helplessly as he released her thigh, kissing her once more. “Sorry pups,” She grinned over his shoulder, “mommy and daddy need some grown-up time,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades’s heart fluttered a little at her joke. <em>Mommy and daddy… get a grip, man. You’ve just asked her to marry you, you don’t have to bring up children and fertility and adoption in the same breath… </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Okay, listen,” He huffed, rutting against her one last time and hissing at the friction, “I’m going to let the dogs out into the yard and make sure they have everything they need. I want you in my bed, waiting for me, when I’m done. Understood?” He grabbed a handful of her delightful, round ass. They’d spent days being interrupted by thing after thing. He was going to make sure nothing stopped him from pleasing his goddess this time.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, your highness,” She gasped,</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Persephone practically sprinted up the stairs, throwing herself on to his bed. <em>Their bed</em>, she corrected. She couldn’t help stealing a glance at the grey stone on her finger, smooth and shaped like a teardrop in a delicate silver band. She still couldn’t quite believe it. Soul bonding was one thing, but this… she was going to stand up with him, in front of all of her friends and tell them, once and for all, how much she loved him. He had asked her to be his, always, and she’d accepted entirely.</p><p> </p><p>She let out a little squeal of excitement, flailing about on the bed. She couldn’t wait to tell Eros, she mused, thinking about how much more satisfying a good squee would be with an enthusiastic friend to join in. Artemis, on the other hand…</p><p> </p><p>Her friend’s name reminded her of why they weren’t currently speaking. Reminded her of <em>him. </em>She looked at the door, her anticipation beginning to turn sour. She’d decided, in the mortal realm, that she wanted him, completely, and she’d been excited about it. But now, back here… this was where she’d told him what Apollo had done to her. And, what’s more, this was a bed, where a man was about to be on top of her.</p><p> </p><p>She waited for the feeling of nausea at the thought of a man above her, looming like that, but the thought of Hades’s gentle eyes looking down on her, full of reverence and desire, didn’t fill her with dread. There was a spike of anxiety from the muscle memory - perhaps they could try a different position at first if she got overwhelmed – but what she felt was mostly… anticipation, excitement… desire.</p><p> </p><p>She wanted to feel his rough hands on her hips, wanted to hear him groan with pleasure like he had when she used her mouth on him, wanted to be as close to him as she possibly could. She also just wanted to know what it would feel like with him, with a man who cared about her and adored drawing out her pleasure.</p><p> </p><p>She would try. She wanted to try. And if the going got tough, he would stop, she knew he would, and please her in other ways. She laughed a little breathless laugh to herself, realising how low the stakes were. <em>At best, I get fucked. Worst case scenario, I get my pussy eaten. Win-win. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Feeling naughty, she kicked off her shoes and pulled her panties down her legs and tossed them aside, leaving all of her other clothes inconspicuous. She shivered, watching the door, electric with anticipation. She heard his rapid footsteps on the stairs and her stomach clenched, fisting her hands in the bedsheets, as he opened the door.</p><p> </p><p>“Gods, look at you,” He groaned softly, taking her in. There she was, hair splayed out across his pillows, waiting for <em>him</em>. “I’m the luckiest god who’s ever lived,”</p><p> </p><p>She looked up at him with naked desire. Had he worn the glasses and suspenders on purpose? She knew she never should have told him how hot she found it when he looked like the nerd he most certainly was. Not only that, but he’d ditched his jacket, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, loosened his tie. He looked edible, and she wanted him so badly it hurt.</p><p> </p><p>“Gods, Aidoneus,” She moaned, rubbing her thighs together, enjoying the way his eyes blazed with desire, “I need you,”</p><p> </p><p>“As my queen commands,” He whispered, tearing off his tie and adjusting his aching erection in his slacks. He slid his glasses off his nose, “Sorry, I know how hot you find them,” he teased.</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up,” She groaned impatiently.</p><p> </p><p>He climbed on to the bed, straddling her thigh on his knees as he looked down at her. He slowly ran his hand up her leg, enjoying her sharp inhalation as he began creeping up her thigh, sliding under the hem of her dress. Expecting to find the damp cotton of panties, he groaned as his fingers met hot wetness and curls.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck, sweetness,” He panted, “Did you take your panties off, my naughty girl?”</p><p> </p><p>She bit her lip and nodded contritely, bucking her hips slightly as his fingers massaged her. “Please, sir,” She whimpered, “Please touch my pussy,”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, but you were such a naughty girl,” He leaned down to kiss her, the intoxicating feeling of her hot little mouth against his driving him almost to distraction, “Well, since you asked so nicely…” He slid one long, thick finger into her wet heat, delighting in her little mewl of surprise and pleasure. “Do you like that sweetness?” He asked softly in her ear, beckoning inside of her and making her breathe out his name. He added another finger after a few firm pumps, stretching her deliciously . “It sounds like you do. Gods, you’re tight. You’re so small and your pussy is so tight. I can’t imagine how good it would feel to fuck you,” He’d intended it as dirty talk, making her groan as he thumbed her clit, but it was true. The sinfully wet, hot heat of her wrapped around his cock was all he could think about as he pumped his fingers into her mercilessly.</p><p> </p><p>“Please,” She whined.</p><p> </p><p>“Please, what sweetness?” He smiled softly, “Do you want to cum?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nooo,” She moaned, “I mean, yes, obviously, but also…” She bit her lip, rocking her hips against his fingers, chasing her pleasure, “I want your cock inside of me. I want you to fuck me,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades stared at her open-mouthed. The combination of the sentiment and the filthy words she’d used to express it had completely short-circuited his brain.</p><p> </p><p>“Hades?” Persephone said softly, bucking her hips slightly to encourage him to move, “Hades?” She stifled a laugh, “We don’t have to if you don’t-”</p><p> </p><p>Hades crushed his mouth to hers in a searing kiss that stole her breath. “Thank you, goddess,” He said reverently, “for trusting me. I would very much like to fuck you, if that’s something you, ahem, want?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been dreaming about your thick cock inside of me for days, Aidoneus,” She whispered, enjoying how her dirty words made his eyes flutter closed and his breathing quicken, “I want you,”</p><p> </p><p>He applied a touch more pressure to her clit, making her groan and buck, and picked up the pace with his thick fingers. She was close, she just needed a push. He leaned down from her mouth, the mouth that was beestung and hanging open in breathless gasps because of what <em>he </em>had done to her, he noted with pride. He tilted his head down and captured one of her nipples in his mouth, flicking his tongue against her. That’s all it took. She clutched his hair, pressing him closer to her breast, as his thumb pressed down, his fingers bottomed out inside of her, and her orgasm hit her like a bus. She arched off the bed and panted his name as she rode out her pleasure.</p><p> </p><p>“Gods, you’re so beautiful when you cum,” He whispered, withdrawing his fingers and kissing her softly. She lay back on the bed, dazed, feeling empty without his fingers inside. “Do you want me to fuck you, sweetness? I want to hear you say it,”</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck me, Aidoneus,” She begged, “Please, fuck me,”</p><p> </p><p>The dominant inside of him thrilled at her words, and the god was trembling with anticipation. The man in love within him, though, was terrified of hurting or scaring her.</p><p> </p><p>“Sweetness,” He leaned back on his knees between her legs, “Take your clothes off,”</p><p> </p><p>She obeyed quickly, taking off her dress and bra in record time. He unbuttoned his shirt, feeling self-conscious but knowing she would want to see him. He slid his suspenders over his shoulders, watching her bite her lip. “These really do it for you, huh?” He asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.</p><p> </p><p>“You look studious. In charge,” She shrugged, throwing her dress aside and lying naked beneath him, “I like that,”</p><p> </p><p>His reply died on his lips as he took her in. Gods she was glorious. Her beautiful face, those big beautiful eyes, and that soft, sweet mouth that could do and say such terribly dirty things. Her heavy, round breasts. Her smooth, soft belly. Her curvaceous little hips and her soft, plump thighs. The little thatch of dark pink curls between her legs and the obvious wetness there. Wetness for him.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure about this sweetness?” He asked softly, reaching down to the button of his straining trousers.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” She panted, reaching down and pushing his hands out of the way, making quick work of his button and zip. She slid a warm little hand inside his underwear, making him curse above her, collapsing over her and holding himself up with the two arms on either side of her little shoulders. “Fuck me, Aidoneus. I won’t ask again,”</p><p> </p><p>He grinned at the assertiveness. He ran a reverent hand down over her beautiful body, laid out in its perfection just for him. He reached down, replacing her retreating hand in his underwear with his own, finally freeing his throbbing erection. She bit her lip, looking down at his huge, hard cock with a mixture of anticipation and intimidation.</p><p> </p><p>Loath to ask her if she was sure again, he just said, “Tell me if it’s too much sweetness, and I’ll stop right away,” and then he was between her legs and his cock was lined up with her entrance, pressing into her.</p><p> </p><p>She gasped at the sensation. He groaned as her momentary resistance that melted away into relaxed, welcoming heat. Her legs fell open wider and she looked at him with naked desire as he inched himself into her, allowing her to acclimate to his size.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck, Persephone,” He groaned, “You feel so good,”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?” She panted with delight, loving that she could make him screw up his face with pleasure like that.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, sweetness,” He slid more of himself inside of her, cursing at the wet friction, “You feel amazing. So good,”</p><p> </p><p>“Good,” She whispered, “I want my pussy to make you feel good, my king,”</p><p> </p><p>He grunted at her filthy words, the last few inches of his cock plunging into her with an involuntary pump of his hips. “Sorry, sweetness,” He soothed, “You’re… you’ll be the death of me, little flower,” He fought to stay still so she could adjust, aching to pound into her.</p><p> </p><p>She smirked, leaning up to kiss him. “Don’t apologise,” She hummed, rocking her hips experimentally against his and making him hiss. She was amazed at how little it hurt, especially given the size of him. Eros had given her the whole talk about how the vagina changed when aroused; <em>“a happy vagina is a wet, deep one,”. </em>He was buried in her to the hilt and, Gods, yes he was enormous and thick, but she <em>loved </em>the feeling of him inside her.</p><p>
  
</p><p>She’d expected more than the slight frisson of tension and pressure between her legs when he first slid in, more than the general, ambient feeling of being filled and stretched that followed when she’d acclimated. This was how it felt, then, she thought, when she wanted it. When someone made her feel good. Hades broke their kiss to lay his head in the crook of her neck, arms trembling with the effort of holding still.  </p><p> </p><p>“Hades,” She whispered into his ear.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, sweetness?” He whispered against her neck, strained and low.</p><p> </p><p>“You can move now, I promise it’s okay,” She stroked his firm, toned ass, delighting in the way it was nestled between her legs. “I want it. I want you,” She reassured him, kissing his ear softly.</p><p> </p><p>Hades pushed himself back up on his arms and kissed her softly as his hips began to rock. Persephone tilted her pelvis up to meet his thrusts, loving the friction, loving the way his weight pressed so nicely into her.</p><p> </p><p>“Is this… ah, fuck, so good,” He grunted, “Is this okay sweetness?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” She panted, gripping his upper arms, “so good. You feel so good. Can you go faster?”</p><p> </p><p>Hades hesitated for a second and then tentatively picked up his pace. The room was filled with the filthy sound of skin slapping on skin as he slammed into her, his hips snapping up against hers with more force.</p><p> </p><p>“You like that?” Hades panted, “Is that what you wanted?” He punctuated each word with a thrust, pressing himself firmly against her.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Aidoneus,” She moaned, “Yes, please, please, I…” Her mumbled incoherent moans pushed him to the edge, delighting in his ability to make the gorgeous goddess beneath him totally incomprehensible. He wasn’t going to last much longer, he noted with faint embarrassment. She’d made a horny teen out of the King of Darkness and the feeling of finally being with her in this way had rocketed him to his absolute limit.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I…” Hades huffed, trying to keep control even as her slick, tight walls gripped him. “Can I come inside you Kore?” He squeezed her breast as he bottomed out, hissing as the soft, pliant skin yielded to his fingers.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” She whispered, “Please, anything you want, just…<em>oh,” </em>He leaned back, sitting up on his knees to get a different angle as he drove home again and again. He gripped her hips in his rough hands, tilting them up so she was arched slightly off the bed.</p><p> </p><p>“Touch yourself, Kore,” He whispered, “Let me see you touch that pretty clit of yours,”  </p><p> </p><p>She obediently reached for her slick, swollen clit, rubbing quick little circles into her aching flesh.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s it, baby,” Hades moaned, driving himself into her harder now, losing control as he reached his peak. She keened in appreciation. “Cum for me, sweetness,”</p><p> </p><p>“Aidoneus!” She cried out, trembling violently as his words tipped her over the edge. The way her tight little pussy gripped him as she came, and his true name on her lips as she fell apart, tipped him over shortly after. He snapped his hips into hers hard, one final time, with a loud, garbled moan, collapsing on top of her. They lay like that for a moment, breathing heavy and clutching at each other.</p><p> </p><p>He gently eased himself out of her and rolled over to lie beside her, worried his giant frame was crushing her. He pulled her to his chest,</p><p> </p><p>“That was incredible sweetness,” He said, when he could remember polysyllabic words. “You are incredible. I love you,” He kissed her forehead, feeling impossibly closer to her now that they had been joined like that, “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you?”</p><p> </p><p>Persephone was dazed. Her hair was tangled and everywhere, and it had grown a few feet during their lovemaking. “I love you too, Aidoneus,” she murmured, kissing his chest and stroking his warm, soft skin. “Thank you,”</p><p> </p><p>Hades laughed, not noticing the tears brimming in her eyes. “Sweetness, you don’t need to thank me. I should be thanking <em>you</em>,” He pulled her closer, feeling her tears against his chest, “Hey, hey, sweetness, I’m sorry. What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” She smiled through the happiest of tears, “You’re perfect. I’m just a little overwhelmed. It was… I loved it,” She shook her head, “I didn’t think I’d be able to enjoy it after what happened but… I wasn’t just a warm body to you. You cared about my pleasure and I cared about yours, and, Gods, it was <em>good,” </em>She looked up into his soft, smiling expression, “Right? It was good for you too, right?”</p><p> </p><p>He quirked an eyebrow at her, “Duh,” he laughed, “I have been around for thousands of years and I… well, I’m no Zeus, but I haven’t been a nun,” He enjoyed her quiet, possessive grunt, wrapping her small, hot body as close to his as she could get it as if to say: <em>mine. </em>“and yet, you push me to the brink in minutes. I feel like an inexperienced teenager with your perfection beneath me. Truly, Kore, that was… unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,”</p><p> </p><p>She flushed with pride, nestling closer to his chest. “Sorry to hear I’ve impacted your stamina, though, your majesty,” she teased softly, “How long before you…?” She asked, running her hand down his toned stomach, “We could work on getting it back up. Practice. It won’t be an easy job, but someone’s got to do it,” She kissed his pec as he laughed breathlessly.</p><p> </p><p>“You really are a fertility goddess, my insatiable little minx,” he groaned softly, “And as for how long it takes… gods tend to rebound pretty quickly, especially when they have gorgeous pink goddesses in their sheets,” He smiled ruefully as he gestured down, his cock already thickening between his legs. She reached down to grasp him, making him gasp, and slung her leg over his hips, straddling him. He cursed as her wet heat settled over him, gripping her hips as she rocked slowly.</p><p> </p><p>“It might take a while for us to get your stamina back up to par, Aidoneus,” She said, firm and authoritative, like the sexiest schoolteacher ever wetdreamed. “Are you willing to put the time in?”</p><p> </p><p>He grinned, marvelling at his luck as she braced herself against his chest, her soft undulations and the cold metal of her ring pressing against his skin. “Yes, sweetness, even if it takes forever,”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, there you have it. Sequel anyone?</p><p>The inspo for Persephone's ring if anyone was interested - https://www.etsy.com/ie/listing/266205907/diamond-engagement-ring-raw-salt-and</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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